The Lightwood Bane Chronicles
by Pendragon2601
Summary: A series of stories about the Lightwood Bane family and friends over the course of their lives. Featuring characters from The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices and The Dark Artifices. Prompts are welcome. Rating may change. Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. I just love them very much.
1. The Comforts of a Dream

_Hello everybody!  
_

 _This is my first Malec story/series in which I wanted to explore moments in their lives as a family. There are going to be stories from different times in the Lightwood-Bane's lives. Some might feature characters from the Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices and from The Dark Artifices but I will let you know if there are any spoilers. One or two of the stories might even be told in different points of view but they will all feature the Lightwood-Banes in some form or another._

 _I have already written four stories already including this chapter but I'm going to publish them hopefully every fortnight. I am more than happy to recieve prompts of any kind from any of you if you like what I'm writing. Please feel free to let me know what you think. I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter so I hope you enjoy it too._

 _Quick note: I am British so I use the British spellings and terms so as to not confuse myself._

 _Spoilers for Born to Endless Night and possibly The Dark Artifices/A Long Conversation, (although I'm sure if any of you are like me, many of you already know what happens)._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 **The Lightwood Bane Chronicles**

 **The Comforts of a Dream**

Magnus woke in a sweat, his chest heaving with stuttering gasps and his heart hammering against his ribcage like a frightened bird beating its wings. He could feel his whole body trembling as his eyes darted around the darkness of the room, blindly taking in but not entirely registering the fact that it was night time and he was lying in his bed.

Tiredly rubbing his eyes he tried to take in a calming breath to settle his nerves as the harsh images of his nightmare slowly faded from his mind. He had never had a dream like it nor had he felt that much terror all at once. Not even when he was a child being held underwater by his cursed stepfather.

There was a quiet shuffling sound from behind Magnus shortly before he felt a strong but gentle arm curl around his waist. "Magnus…are you okay?" Alec mumbled sleepily into the back of Magnus's neck.

Magnus wove his long fingers between each of Alec's own, lifting up his partner's hand and placing a gentle kiss on his palm. "I'm fine Alexander. You go back to sleep, I'll just go get a drink of water." He whispered, reaching over his shoulder with his free hand and touched Alec's cheek affectionately. Alec hummed half-heartedly in protest only to be replaced by soft snores a moment later. Magnus carefully removed Alec's arm and got out of bed, slipping into his silk kimono style dressing gown in one fell swoop as he exited his bedroom and shut the door quietly behind him.

Magnus made his way over to the kitchen area of his apartment, conjuring up a glass with a spark of blue flame and then filling it up with fresh cold water from the tap. Normally Magnus would have just conjured up the glass with the water already in it but he preferred to take things slow for the moment, focusing on his task so as to save himself from thinking of his nightmare. It had left him unsettled. He was the High Warlock of Brooklyn, for Lilith's sake. He didn't _get_ nightmares.

Magnus snapped his fingers and the reading lamp by his armchair flickered to life with a soft orange glow. He decided a bit of light reading might help him get back off to sleep. So he sat in the armchair, fidgeting slightly so that the cushion sat _just right_ against the small of his back and picked up a forgotten book lying on the side table beside him. He opened the book and flicked through the pages until he reached his previous spot and stared at the blurry lines.

No matter how hard he tried to focus his attention on the words in front of him, all he saw was remnants of his dream flicker like echoes across his eyes. The dream had started peacefully, as dreams always do. It was like imagining that you were looking at a painting from Picasso, taking in all of the abstract colours and designs, the melting clocks hanging on spindly branches and so on. But then the clocks are morphing into sunflowers and you suddenly realise you're looking at a Van Gogh painting instead. Only the Van Gogh painting is actually a terrifying monster, intent to crush your bones and destroy your entire world.

Magnus shook his head out of his morbid thoughts and focused on his book.

 _When summoning a demon, it is vital that the pentagram you have drawn is secure and holds the correct runes and symbols that will contain the demon in question…Many have tried to summon a demon whose power is too great for their pentagram to hold and has resulted in both their lives being taken and unleashing the beast on the mortal world…there is no known source of a warlock successfully summoning Lucifer himself…_

Magnus snapped the book shut with trembling hands. Though he knew of the existence of angels and demons, to believe that the _Fallen One_ actually existed…

Magnus startled at the sound of a quiet creak to find his son Max standing in his baggy pyjamas – a pair of grey sweatpants and one of Alec's old black, long-sleeved shirts – holding on to his tatty, threadbare comfort blanket. "Oh Blueberry, it's only you…"

Magnus beckoned the young warlock over to him. Max shuffled along the floor never once loosening his grip on his blanket and crawled onto Magnus's lap, lying his horned head carefully against Magnus's shoulder. Magnus rested his cheek on top of Max's unruly, dark blue hair and wrapped his son in a tight comforting hug. Although Max was now seven years old his face still held the youthful look of a boy almost half his age. Max leaned into Magnus's side, curling up into an awkward ball of jutting limbs, but comfortable enough. "I had a bad dream Papa." Max whispered his little blue hand grasping hold of the lapel of Magnus's dressing gown.

"That's terrible news." Magnus frowned, hugging Max closer to his chest. "Did the Chairman not do his job again?" Max shook his head and Magnus tutted in reply. Max always tended to sleep better when the little cat was sleeping in the boys' bedroom, acting almost like a living dream catcher. Magnus lifted his head and peered down at Max's face. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Max blinked slowly and gave Magnus a short nod. Magnus smiled at Max encouragingly and waited patiently for his son to speak. "We were at the park having a picnic with Daddy's family." Max said slowly, staring off into nothingness as he retold his dream. "We were having fun. I was pretending to be a pirate with Grandma Maryse and Rafe was showing his new shoes to Uncle Simon. You were sat with Daddy in the shade by the duck pond when Uncle Jace said that the ducks had disappeared."

A small crease appeared on Magnus's brow as Max continued to speak. "Then, the birds began to fly out of the trees and the squirrels scattered about without their acorns. Everyone was getting worried because the ground was shaking. I felt sick." Magnus heard Max's breath hitch as the boy stared down at his hands in thought.

Magnus shifted in his seat wishing now that he had just sat on the sofa. It was a lot more comfortable anyway. Perhaps he should just throw the armchair out altogether. It did clash with the homely décor he had decided upon after all. Magnus knew it wasn't the seat at all that was making him uncomfortable.

"I tried to conjure some bubbles to calm myself down like how you showed me Papa, but every time I tried, my magic burned my hands. My horns started hurting…" Max sniffled and looked up at Magnus. "My horns never hurt, Papa. Not even when my hat gets caught on them, or when Chairman Meow tries biting them when he's sat on my shoulders."

"I know Max, I know." Magnus said soothingly. "But it's only a dream Blueberry. It's not real."

"But that wasn't the worst part Papa." Max said sitting up and facing Magnus with wide worried eyes. Magnus watched Max, feeling his body tense with a deep feeling of dread. Max wiped his nose with the corner of his blanket as his eyes began to well with tears. "A m-monster came out of the pond…a giant, red beast…"

… _with broken wings of dazzling white flames and eyes so dark and merciless, to look upon them would destroy your mind and leave you screaming and writhing in agony…_ Magnus shuddered as Max's monster appeared before his eyes, rising from a pool of pitch and flames.

"It killed Daddy." Max sobbed. "A-and Rafe. And Grandma and Uncle J-Jace…" Magnus pulled Max to his chest and rocked him back and forth as Max cried. "It killed everybody Papa! I was so scared. I couldn't find you and then – t-then it killed you, Papa…"

"Max it was just a dream. Nothing is going to take your Dad, or your brother or I, away from you." Magnus said firmly.

"But Daddy and Rafael aren't like us, Papa. You said they're mortal." Max blubbered into Magnus's chest. "I don't want them to die Papa! It's not fair!"

"Hey now," Magnus took Max's head in his hands and wiped his tears away with a few swipes of his thumbs. "We've talked about this haven't we?" Max reluctantly nodded and Magnus gave the boy a comforting smile. "Yes, your father and brother are mortal and they…they will grow old and die." Magnus paused a moment to compose himself, feeling a heavy knot constrict in his chest. "And when that day comes it will be difficult. But that day will not be anytime soon, will it? Not if we have anything to do about it."

Max wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and nodded firmly. "Daddy and Rafe protect the Mundanes."

Magnus nodded with a smile. "And _we_ protect Dad and Rafael."

Max smiled a little at Magnus before he wrapped his gangly arms around Magnus's chest and hugged his Papa close. They fell into a comfortable silence, neither one wanting to move just yet. They listened to the sounds of Alec's gentle snoring and Rafael's soft breathing coming from their bedrooms.

When the skies outside the windows started to lighten, Max looked up at Magnus curiously. "Papa, why were you awake? Did you have a nightmare too?"

Magnus remembered the echoes of his dream as clear as daylight. The clear blue skies tearing apart as the ground shook from beneath their feet…the water in the duck pond swirling with the blood of the damned souls of hell…the _Fallen One_ rising from brimstone and flames…

Magnus shook his head. "No Max. I just wanted some chocolate." He watched as his son glanced at the cupboard in the kitchen where Alec liked to keep the sweets, far too high up for either Max or Rafael to reach, and matched Max's mischievous grin. "I won't tell if you don't." Magnus whispered conspiratorially. Max nodded eagerly. Magnus snapped his fingers and the sweet jar appeared in Max's hands in a flash of blue flames.

"Make sure you save some for Rafael too. You know how much he likes the toffees." Magnus chuckled as Max rummaged in the jar, feeling proud that he had managed to clear away his son's troubles for now. Magnus knew that there will always be times where the deaths of Alec and Rafael would trouble both Magnus and his son. But for now they could be forgotten for just a little while longer whilst he helped himself to some chocolate.


	2. A Lesson in Tolerance

_Hello again!_

 _I know I said that I wouldn't upload a new chapter for at least a fortnight but I couldn't help myself. I have been itching to upload this chapter for ages so I thought what the hell!_

 _Thank you to Janna, eli-rose and maggie for being my first reviewers! It really cheered me up to know what you all thought. I really do love hearing what people think of my stories, even if it is just constructive criticism, so please feel free to leave a comment. Also thank you all to those who have already put this series onto their favourite/following lists._

 _Quick note: This chapter is set after The Dark Artifices when Rafael and Max are twelve and ten years old. Beatriz also makes a small cameo so spoilers from Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy and from A Long Conversation. It also features our lovely favourites Clary and Jace from The Mortal Instruments. (Again, spoilers for the above!)_

 _Hope you all like it. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **The Lightwood-Bane Chronicles**

 **A Lesson in Tolerance**

"Why does it always have to be our boys?" Magnus muttered as the glittering blue portal that had brought him and Alec to the New York Institute, collapsed on itself with a quiet pop. "Just once, I'd like to be able to drop them both off someplace for the afternoon without getting an emergency message saying that they've gotten into trouble again."

Alec let out an exhausted sigh as he pushed open the doors to his old home to let them both through. He hadn't lived at the Institute for just over ten years but seeing as he was there nearly every other day, either dropping off Rafael and Max to do some training with the other local Shadowhunters or attending alliance meetings between the vampires and the werewolves, everything still felt familiar as if he had only just moved out yesterday. "They might not even be in trouble Magnus. Jace didn't even say what happened, just that we needed to come and pick them up." Alec heard a snort come from behind him as they entered the elevator and pressed the button for the training room floor. Alec turned to his husband and caught Magnus in the middle of rolling his cat-like eyes. Most days Alec would have happily ignored this, knowing that Magnus never meant anything by it, but today wasn't one of those days. Alec let out an annoyed huff. "Look Mags, let's just go retrieve them and we can sort it out at home."

The elevator dinged as the doors slid open to reveal Clary pacing anxiously in the hallway in front of them, her hand rubbing soothing circles on her swollen belly. Clary looked up at them and let out a sigh of relief. "Oh good, you're finally here. Hurry now, we've only just managed to stop some of the students from contacting the Clave."

Alec swallowed nervously as he and Magnus quickly followed Clary down the hall towards the training room. There were sounds of shouting and thumps coming from the other side of the doors which only grew louder as Clary threw them open to reveal the chaos inside. A large group of about a dozen Shadowhunter students were gathered around the crash mats, egging on what appeared to be a fight. Alec wasn't sure exactly what was wrong until he saw Jace in the middle of the crowd along with the Institute's new weapons trainer Beatriz, struggling to break up a fight involving four or five students. It was only then that Alec noticed the bright glittering sparks of magic shooting into the air above their heads.

"Don't even say it Magnus," Alec snapped as Magnus turned to him.

Clary strode up to the group pushing her way through the students. "All right! Break it up! Stop it right now or so help me, you'll all be sorry."

Alec and Magnus followed her lead as the students started to dissipate. Some of the students looked perfectly happy to give them a wide berth, especially when they noticed Magnus's hands spark with blue flames. Lying in a heap on the mat was their son Max, now a gangly ten year old with sprouting horns curling from his dark blue head sporting a bruised eye and a swollen lip, trying to stop the tears of pain in his eyes from falling. Alec felt a pang of horror in his chest which quickly changed into simmering rage as he clapped sight of a young Shadowhunter boy lying unconscious next to him with a bloody nose and a missing tooth.

"I'll kill him! I swear I'll kill him!" Rafael yelled as he struggled against Jace's restraining arms. Magnus swooped down to Max's side and helped sit him up as Alec turned to his parabatai. Rafael's yelling had now turned into angry grunts and the occasional exclamation in Spanish.

"Anytime you'd like to give me a hand here Alec, I'd be very grateful." Jace remarked dryly as he struggled to restrain Rafael's flailing arms.

"Rafael, that's enough!" Alec barked at his son before grabbing the back of the boy's shirt and dragged him away from the mat. Rafael still struggled but only half heartedly, his face still fixed with fury towards the boy on the mat. Beatriz turned to the rest of her students and ordered them to the showers to calm down whilst Clary knelt down to check over the boy. Magnus had managed to get Max to stand up and was limping unhappily next to his Papa as Jace led them all to his office.

Alec deposited Rafael on the leather couch in the corner next to Max who was whimpering as he cradled his right arm to his chest. Jace closed the door to his office and let out a breath shaking his head before slumping down in the chair behind his desk. Magnus was now standing next to the couch casting worried glances at Alec who stood looking at their sons with his arms crossed.

Jace picked up a glass and the jug of water that was sat on his desk and poured himself a drink. "Just what I needed today," He sighed before taking a sip. Magnus raised his eyebrow at him.

"Oh, I'm sure this was exactly what you needed Herondale. But alas, this isn't about you Blondie." Magnus quipped folding his manicured hands in front of him. "Why don't you go and check on Biscuit? All this stress can't be good for her in her delicate condition."

Jace rolled his eyes and stood up, casting a cautious glance at Alec who hadn't moved an inch. "Alright, shout if you need me." Jace wove around his desk and clapped his hand on Alec's shoulder. "Go easy on them brother. Good luck boys."

And with that Jace left the room, closing the door and leaving them in silence. Alec remained quiet. Magnus began to wonder whether it was possible for someone to get so furious that it struck them dumb with rage.

"Well?" Alec eventually spoke breaking the silence in the small room. Magnus could sense the anger coming from his husband's tense body, and so it seemed, could their sons who were now looking pointedly at the floor. "Somebody better have a good explanation for that ungodly debacle in the training room."

"He started it!" Rafael piped up earning the attention from both of his parents. Max seemed to shrink back in to the fabric of the couch, as though if everybody's attention was on his brother they wouldn't notice him. Rafael sat up straight, flicking his unruly brown hair out of his eyes as he met his father's eyes defiantly. "He was picking on Max so I clobbered him one."

"And that makes it alright does it?" Alec's normally placid tone rising which made Max flinch. There were only a few times before Max had seen his Dad angry but never this furious.

"Alexander, perhaps we should save this for when we get home." Magnus suggested calmly. Alec shook his head furiously.

"No Magnus, I want a proper explanation from our sons before we go anywhere." Alec turned his attention to Max and upon seeing the boy cowering on the seat, softened only slightly. "Max, what happened?"

Max sniffled and winced as he tried to move his arm to wipe his running nose. Magnus softened and conjured up a tissue and a first aid kit. Gently he knelt down beside the young warlock and dabbed his little blue face with the tissue, before bandaging up his arm. Rafael shuffled closer to his little brother, his eyes shifting warily around them as if expecting another attack. "Bernard was calling Max horrible names. He kept saying that he shouldn't be in the Institute training with us because he wasn't a Shadowhunter like me and you." Rafael spoke as he carefully wrapped his arm around Max's shoulders in an awkward hug.

"He called me a f-filthy demon spawn." Max grumbled morosely.

"He said what?" Magnus asked in a deadly calm voice as Alec noticed blue flames sparking erratically around his fingers. Max looked up at his Papa tearfully, leaning into Rafael's side for support.

"He called him a demon spawn." Rafael repeated darkly. "So I punched him."

"That still doesn't make it right for you to hit him until he's nearly dead." Alec said sternly, now feeling calm enough to think rationally. Rafael looked up at Alec in astonishment.

"You'd do the same for Uncle Jace!"

"He's got a point Alexander." Magnus interjected, as he cleaned Max's lip. "In fact I know that you would do a lot worse if anyone said anything bad about your family."

"I'm not disputing that, but you're better than this Rafael." Alec crouched down until his was almost eye level with his son. "We raised you better than to use this kind of behaviour."

"But that's what Shadowhunters do." Rafael frowned. "We protect the ones we love."

Alec nodded imploringly. "Yes, that is what Shadowhunters do. And I'm glad you stuck up for your brother but if we used our fists all the time on ignorant people, we'd just get bloody knuckles. Rise above it and prove to yourself that you can be better than them."

Rafael sat quietly in thought for a moment before he spoke up. "So are you saying I should have just ignored him?"

"Your father is saying you _both_ should ignore him." Magnus said turning the tissue in his hand into a burning puff of blue smoke. "Besides, that kid is an idiot and is raised by stupid Nephilim parents. No offense." He quickly added with a look at both Alec and Rafael.

Alec stood up and ruffled Rafael's hair. "Come on, lets go home."

"Are you going to ground us again?" Rafael asked nervously, helping Max stand up. Magnus led them out of the room towards the entrance of the Institute. They could always send a note to Clary and Jace later when they get home. It was too late now to let them know in person as the sun outside had already begun to set on the busy city streets.

"You're both absolutely grounded." Alec replied much to Rafael's distress. "And if your father and I are ever called because you two have been in trouble again, you can rest assured you'll be grounded for the rest of your lives."

"The rest of my life..?" Max whispered horrified, glancing at Magnus's back. "Forever and ever, Papa?"

"Oh, most definitely." Magnus called back over his shoulder. A bright blue doorway appeared in front of them as Magnus conjured up a portal to their apartment in Brooklyn. They stepped through the portal and were greeted with a put out Chairman Meow who had started to become quite grumpy in his old age.

Alec nudged the boys towards the bathroom. "Right, both of you get cleaned up for dinner. If you're quick, I might just put your Aunt Izzy's soup in the bin instead of making you eat it." The boys shot off towards the bathroom, with Rafael leaping over the back of the sofa in an attempt to make it through the doorway first. Alec let himself smile a little. Magnus strode over to his husband and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"What are you thinking about Alexander?" Magnus whispered quietly, as Chairman Meow wove around their legs.

Alec turned and wrapped his arms around Magnus's waist, giving him a kiss with a smile. "Is it bad that I feel proud Rafael broke that kid's nose?"

Magnus snorted. "No. Trust me if I'd got hold of him, that kid's broken nose would be the least of his worries when he's sporting a horrible case of boils and an awful monobrow."

Alec chuckled with a smile before it slipped from his mouth and was replaced with a thoughtful frown. Magnus looked up at his husband's weary face, which was slowly starting to show his age, if only a little bit through the crow's feet at the corners of his bright blue eyes. Magnus knew what that look meant. "Alexander, it'll be alright. Boys will be boys after all. It doesn't mean you're a bad parent."

"It's not that. I was thinking about Max." Alec replied looking on towards the bathroom where he knew Max was with his brother. "No matter what we do to try to change people's minds, there are still those who will always try to ruin what we're doing and just hate. And our boys are being put through that. What if Max grows to hate Shadowhunters?"

"We won't let that happen. Besides, you and Rafael are Nephilim and he loves you both to pieces." Magnus said. "We lead by example and we can't go wrong."

"Dad, we're done!" Max called as he and Rafael appeared from the bathroom, Rafael wiping his hands on his jeans. Alec painted on a smile and told them both to set the table as if nothing had been worrying him at all. Magnus let go of Alec and picked up Chairman Meow, giving the feline a scratching under his whiskery chin.

As Max began to conjure up plates and cutlery, Rafael walked up to Alec and wrapped his arms tightly around Alec's waist in a hug. "I'm sorry I punched Bernard Dad. I'll be better, I promise." Rafael spoke, his voice coming out muffled against Alec's chest. Alec softened as he held onto Rafael, remembering the time he had found Rafael growing up almost feral on the streets of Buenos Aires.

"I know Rafe." Alec replied leaning down and placing a kiss to the top of his son's head. "I know."


	3. Priorities

_Hello again!_

 _Here is another chapter! I've decided that I'll update as soon as I'm happy about each of the chapters (I currently have plans for about fifteen stories with some already written but unedited). Thank you all for the reviews and the favourites and subscriptions. I hope to hear from you all again soon. Just to clarify again, this series will be a series of one shots (unless I specify otherwise) from different points in the Lightwood-Bane's lives.  
_

 _This chapter is set somewhere after the ending of Lady Midnight and A Long Conversation so spoilers for them. This chapter also features characters from the Mortal Instruments._

 _Let me know what you all think.  
_

 _Enjoy!_

 ** _28/04/2016 - After receiving some feedback from a very helpful reviewer, I decided to rewrite the ending of this chapter. After re-reading what I had written I realised that Magnus and Alec seemed too out of character which is not something I like to do. I prefer to keep these two characters and realistic as possible. I hope you will enjoy the new ending but please feel free to let me know what you think._**

* * *

 **The Lightwood-Bane Chronicles**

 **Priorities**

"Get out of the way! Move!" Jace yelled, pushing his way through the crowd of students as he helped Alec, who was near unconscious with pain and covered in blood and demon ichor, on to a cot in the infirmary. Isabelle bustled about her brother with blood streaming down her cheek from a cut just above her left eyebrow and Simon grabbed every medical supply he could manage to hold.

"Alec, stay awake!" Isabelle said tapping Alec's cheek until his drooping eyes became slightly more alert. He tried to speak but the wound on his side made it difficult for him to even think. He turned his head to the side and watched Simon limping around as he unwrapped bandages and sterilised implements. Jace knelt down on the other side of Alec, sweat pouring from his forehead and tore the remainder of Alec's shirt apart so that he could look at the wound.

"How bad is it?" Alec groaned, amazed that he was still conscious enough to ask a question without slurring. Jace glanced at Alec's face and gave him a tight smile.

"Nothing we can't handle. Just needs a couple of iratzes and you'll be back to normal." Jace clapped his hand on Alec's shoulder to which he let out a yelp.

"I know when you're lying Jace." Alec gasped lifting his head from the pillow. A throbbing pain flashed across his head and was almost blind with dizziness before his head fell back against the pillow, falling into unconsciousness as he went.

Jace felt the blood drain from his face as he turned to Isabelle. "Call Magnus."

* * *

"Is Daddy going to be alright?" Max asked, holding tightly onto his brother Rafael as they followed their Papa through the shimmering blue portal he had created. Clary was on the other side waiting for them beckoning them through the doors of the Institute. Her skin was covered in a sheen of sweat and her shirt was torn across her abdomen, showing off an array of iratzes and fading lacerations.

"He will be Blueberry, don't worry." Magnus replied tightly as he closed the portal behind them.

"He's upstairs in the Infirmary." Clary said, taking hold of the boys' hands. "I'll take the boys to the training room out of the way."

"What about Daddy?" Max asked worriedly, looking up at Clary with wide tearful eyes. Magnus knelt down in front of the young warlock, who had not long turned five years old, and gave him a brave smile.

"Daddy will be okay. I'm going to go help him." he turned to the older boy who straightened up and stared determinedly at Magnus. "Rafael, you look after your little brother okay?" Rafael nodded and calmly took Max's hand in his as Clary led them away. As soon as they were out of sight, Magnus ran to the elevator as fast as his legs could carry him and punched the button for the Infirmary.

When he reached the infirmary doors and swung them open, Magnus's sight was met with the image of Alec's writhing body contorting on the cot as Simon, Jace and Isabelle tried to hold him down. Magnus flitted to his lover's side and held his tensing hands in his, watching as Alec's eyes rolled back as his body spasmed.

"What happened?" Magnus snapped at the others before his eyes caught sight of Alec's wound. Sticking out of Alec's waist and completely surrounded by Alec's blood was a demon stinger the length of Magnus's hand. "Why didn't you take that out of him as soon as you got back?"

"We tried. We think there's a barb on the end preventing it from coming out." Isabelle replied, her eyes red and puffy with tears. "And every time we touch it, it pushes itself deeper into the wound."

"Magnus, what do we do?" Jace pleaded, restraining Alec's arms to the mattress as Simon tried to do the same with Alec's legs.

Magnus turned back to see Alec's mouth start to froth. Magnus snapped his fingers as his magic flew over Alec's body. The others let go with a gasp as Alec's body slowly started to calm down. "Alright, here's what I need you to do." Magnus instructed, not once taking his focus away from the task at hand. "Isabelle, Simon, I need a bucket of holy water and as many towels as you can get. We're going to need them. Jace, clean the blood around the wound away and get ready with your stele. He's going to need blood replacement runes and iratzes as soon as we get the venom out of his system. Hurry now." Jace, Simon and Isabelle went about as they were told and Magnus placed a kiss to Alec's sweat dampened hair. "I've got you, my love. You'll be okay." He whispered in his ear just as he heard the Infirmary doors groan open. Magnus looked up in horror as he spotted Max and Rafael staring at Alec on the bed.

"DADDY!" Max screamed as he came rushing forward, Rafael chasing after his brother just as Clary appeared in the doorway. Glittering sparks flew from Max's hands as he ran.

"Clary, get them out of here!" Magnus shouted just as Simon scooped up a flailing, crying Max in his arms. Clary grabbed Rafael trying to shield his attention from Alec's wound and sent an apologetic look over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I turned my back for one second." Clary replied picking up Rafael who continued to stare over her shoulder at Alec and ran after Simon.

Magnus turned his attention back to Alec, feeling rattled as Isabelle dumped the towels and holy water on the floor beside him. Choking noises started coming from Alec's mouth as the seizures started up again. Isabelle bit back a whimper as she stroked Alec's hair. "Hang in there, big brother. Come on. Don't leave me too…" she sobbed.

"We're not going to lose him Izzy. Pull yourself together." Jace snapped throwing the bloodied rag in his hand over his shoulder. "Magnus, I'm ready. What do I do now?"

Magnus was starting to tremble as his magic began to wane. Shaking his head out of the dizzying fog surrounding his mind, Magnus looked at Jace with a grimace. "You're going to have to cut away the damaged tissue around the wound. Any poison left in that skin will go straight into Alexander's bloodstream as soon as you take the stinger out." Jace nodded and pulled a knife from the side of his boot, swallowing the bile in his throat before cutting into Alec's skin.

Alec's eyes flew open with a scream as Izzy tried to keep him still. Magnus pushed as much of his strength into his magic as he could stand, fighting off the dizzying wave of unconsciousness threatening to overwhelm him. A moment later Jace removed the stinger throwing it to the side and threw the bucket of holy water on the remains of the wound, watching as the last of the demon ichor fizzled away. Jace then pressed the towels against the wound to stop the bleeding as he hastily applied runes on to Alec's slick torso.

Alec went still as Magnus removed his magic, slumping against the side of the cot and gingerly touching Alec's fingers. Isabelle pressed a tearful kiss to Magnus's cheek. "Thank you." She whispered, stroking her brother's head in her lap.

"Hey, what are family for?" Magnus mumbled as he closed his eyes, resting his forehead against Alec's shoulder.

* * *

Alec groggily woke up to a blinding headache, hours later to find Max and Rafael hugging him close as they slept. The pain that was in his side earlier had now been reduced to a tender ache underneath the coarse bandages wrapped around his stomach.

"Don't ever scare me like that again, Alexander." Alec turned his head to the side to see Magnus sat in an armchair watching him and their sons. There was a look on Magnus's face that felt like a stab to Alec's chest.

"Magnus…"

Magnus shuffled closer and gripped Alec's hand tightly. Only now could Alec see the unshed tears of worry in Magnus's yellow cat's eyes. "When your sister called me, I was terrified that she was going to tell me that you were dead." Alec felt a small tremor in Magnus's hands as he desperately clasped hold of him. "I started thinking about what to tell the boys before she even spoke and then when she told me you were hurt, I was so relieved that you were still alive."

Alec tried to think of something to say that would help to comfort him but the words wouldn't come to him. He continued to watch Magnus as he stared pointedly at their hands. Finally after what felt like decades, Magnus looked up at Alec tightly, his eyes filled with hurt as if he was the one injured and not Alec. "What happened?"

"We were ambushed by a pack of demons just outside Harlem. We didn't know there would be that many. Simon fell and hurt his leg whilst trying to protect Clary and I got stabbed whilst going to help him. It was an accident." Alec said quietly, keeping his voice low so that he didn't wake his sons. Although he had come home many times covered in blood, he didn't like them to know the details of what he did until he was sure they were old enough to understand.

Magnus nodded sombrely. He glanced over at Max and Rafael as they continued to sleep, watching as Max's nose wrinkled in distress. "You're going to get a lot of questions from them in the morning. They managed to sneak in whilst we were trying to heal you."

Alec gulped in horror, tightening his hold around Max's waist. "Oh no, how much did they see? Please tell me you sent them out."

"Of course I did. I didn't want them seeing you like…" Magnus paused and let out a shaky breath. "I'm not sure exactly how much they saw but it took Biscuit and Sheldon hours to calm them down."

Max wriggled in his sleep and Alec felt his son's little blue hand tighten on the blanket covering Alec's waist. Alec felt his chest tighten in worry wondering whether Max was having a nightmare. He looked over at Rafael who seemed to be sleeping calmly. Alec frowned. "How was Rafe? Has he spoken at all?"

Magnus shook his head. "It seems he's bottling it up. He's not spoken a word." Magnus frowned at Rafael as well. "He doesn't seem that affected at all. Whatever happened to him before you found him in Buenos Aires…it must have been horrible. It's going to take us ages to get him to open up again."

"He was doing so well." Alec shook his head remembering how hard it was to get Rafael to feel safe around them all and to actually speak. Max suddenly jerked in his sleep sending a stab of pain through Alec's wound. Alec hissed in pain, squeezing Magnus's hand tightly to stop himself from crying out.

Magnus looked away, closing his eyes so that he didn't have to see Alec in pain. He hated seeing that. No matter how many times Alec came home to him with fading injuries, he would probably never get used to that fact. The sight of pain in Alec's face always reminded him of his mortality, which was a constant worry that nagged at him in the back of his mind and had caused them so much grief in the past, that Magnus tried his utmost best to ignore all signs of it.

Once the pain in Alec's wound started to fade again, Alec turned to look at Magnus. Upon seeing Magnus's averted gaze he squeezed his hand. "Magnus, I'm okay now."

"I'm sorry." Magnus sighed as he reluctantly turned his attention back to Alec. "I hate seeing you hurt like this."

"I know but what do you expect me to do Magnus? I'm not going to abandon my sister and my parabatai the next time they need me on a patrol." Alec thought they had been through this.

"I don't want you to abandon them. That's one of the reasons why I love you Alec," Magnus said lifting up Alec's hand and kissing his bruised knuckles. "I just don't like seeing you hurt that's all."

Alec shook his head sadly. "It's a risk of the job unfortunately. But it doesn't happen that often, thank the Angel."

"I know." Magnus's voice wavered unsteadily and he paused to compose himself, staring pointedly at their joined hands. "I'm not ready to let you go, Alexander. Not yet…"

"Magnus, I'm not going anywhere." Alec squeezed Magnus's hand. "Trust me."

"I do." Magnus leaned forward and kissed Alec's mouth. "Aku cinta kamu."

Alec smiled tiredly. "I love you too."

Max suddenly jerked awake sending a glittering blue spark smashing into a bedside lamp across the infirmary. The sound of the shatter startled Rafael awake. Max sat up beside Alec, his mouth fixed in a tearful pout before he looked down at Alec with wide eyes. "Daddy, you're awake! Are you okay, Daddy?"

"Yeah Max, I'm fine." Alec smiled back as Max relaxed, slowly shifting up the bed and wrapped his arms carefully around Alec's neck. Rafael laid his head back down against Alec's chest and hugged him tightly, remaining quiet all the while.

Max pouted into the side of Alec's neck. "I hate those nasty demons Daddy."

"I do too, Max." Alec replied kissing Max's forehead, carefully avoiding his horns which were still a little sensitive despite having been growing steadily for the past couple of years. Alec hugged both boys gently as they went back to sleep. He waited until both of the boys were lightly snoring again before looked up to find Magnus watching them quietly. "I'll try to be more careful Magnus. I promise."

Magnus nodded and squeezed Alec's hand. "I suppose I could try to live with that. Get some rest. You've got a lot of making up to me to do tomorrow, starting with bed rest at home for at least three days."

"Done."

Magnus smiled and stood, pressing a kiss to Alec's forehead and stroking Rafael's curly brown hair before leaving the room for him to let him sleep. Alec looked down at his sons and with a smile, fell into a restful sleep.


	4. Distractions

_Hello everybody!_

 _Thank you for your reviews! I absolutely love hearing from everybody. I am in the middle of looking for a Beta Reader so if anyone would like to help me or whether you can recommend a good beta reader I would very much appreciate it. I am mostly looking for someone who loves Malec as much as we all do and someone who is pretty good at keeping Magnus and Alec in character (becuase sometimes I find it a little tricky)._

 _Okay, on to the chapter notes. I would consider this chapter a very strong T rating mostly because it does contain a small amount of sexual scenes but no actual sex. Kind of like what Cassandra Clare does in her own books. This chapter contains a cameo from Tessa Gray from The Infernal Devices. However, this chapter is set during the events of Lady Midnight and just before A Long Conversation, so spoilers!_

 _Just another quick note, all of these chapters are all in the same "universe" as the other chapters. The reason I'm letting you know now is that towards the end of the chapter their is a little bit about Max which will be explained and go more into detail in another chapter (I'll let you know which one). I just haven't finished the chaper yet._

 _Without further ado, feel free to let me know what you think and if you can recommend a good Beta Reader and enjoy!_

* * *

 **The Lightwood Bane Chronicles**

 **Distractions**

"Oh come on! How could they change that bit from the book? It was a key event in their relationship!" Tessa exclaimed at the television screen from her spot next to Magnus on the couch. Alec looked up from his book and smiled as he caught Magnus raising his eyebrow at him over Tessa's head. She sighed and grabbed the remote, switching the screen off with a flash. "I can't watch this adaptation. Are they trying to ruin _A Tale of Two Cities_?"

"I think the educational system already beat them to it, my dear." Magnus said idly, clearing up the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table in a flash of blue flames. Tessa huffed as she leaned into his side, resting her head against his shoulder. Strands of her long brown hair fell out of the bun at the back of her head and fell into her eyes.

"Will would hate this film if he was here watching it. He absolutely loved this book and they completely missed the point of their whole relationship! Dickens would be turning in his grave." Magnus wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a comforting hug. "Oh well, I'll just have to take the film back to the library tomorrow."

"Indeed you will. It's not the end of the world." Magnus said. There was a sudden beeping sound from the clock on the kitchen wall and Magnus tiredly smiled. "The boys should be home from Maryse's soon. We should perhaps get some dinner prepared."

Alec snapped his book shut and got out of his chair. "Don't worry Mags, I'll sort something out for them." As he passed by the back of the sofa, Alec swooped down and pressed a kiss to Magnus's forehead.

"But you cooked yesterday." Magnus protested. "Why don't I cook this time?"

"Your version of cooking is stealing meals from Taki's down the road. They're going to start getting suspicious if you keep doing it." Alec remarked as he opened the fridge and pulled out a box of leftover pasta bolognaise from yesterday. "Besides, we just managed to get Max eating something other than pancakes. It would be nice to keep it that way for a while longer."

"But he likes pancakes!" Magnus pouted.

Tessa smiled as she watched them both bicker. "Aw, you two are so adorable together. You remind me so much of Will and I with our children."

"Yes, but our children are angels which is more than I can say for your James." Magnus earned a gentle shove from Tessa to which he grinned back. "Okay, okay maybe he wasn't _all_ terrible."

"Be nice Magnus." Alec said as he switched on the cooker to warm up the leftovers.

"I am being nice. Look, this is me being nice." Magnus said, his cat eyes gleaming with mischief. Tessa shook her head as she curled up on the sofa.

"Let's change the subject." Tessa suggested. Suddenly she sat up and turned to Magnus with an excited smile. "What are you two doing for your anniversary?"

Magnus stared at Alec as he busied himself with chopping up some green vegetables. He almost became lost in the gracefulness of Alec's movements as the muscles of his arms tensed and released as the knife in his hand flew across the board with barely any effort. Although it was such a simple task, watching Alec cooking in his loft made Magnus happy. It was pathetic and so unbecoming for a High Warlock of Brooklyn but right now he didn't care. Alec glanced back at Tessa over his shoulder as he slid the chopped vegetables into a pan of bubbling water. "I don't know just yet. Maybe go out to dinner or watch a movie with the boys. You know, have a quiet night in."

"Really?" Tessa asked disappointedly. "Haven't you two been together for five years or something? That's a pretty big anniversary."

"Well _I_ suggested we go to my flat in Paris for the weekend but Alec needs to be on call in case there are any problems with the alliance between Maia's pack and Lily's coven." Magnus said distractedly watching Alec as he reached over to switch the coffee pot on. "Besides, it's too short notice for anyone to look after Max and Rafe for a night."

"I suppose. You know Jem and I would gladly take care of the boys that night but we're getting so close to finding Christopher it could be any day now."

"It's alright." Alec turned around and leaned against the counter, catching Magnus's eye as a blush coloured his cheekbones. "How is the search going? Did you find any leads?"

"We're close. Jem thinks that they might be in Los Angeles but he's following up that lead with Catarina at the moment." Tessa and Jem had been searching for the lost members of the Herondale line for years now but it was only recently that they had gotten any headway. "You both should still do something special though."

Just as Magnus was about to reply the intercom buzzed from downstairs and Alec went to let their sons in. Not even a moment later, Max burst into the room with Rafe following behind him as they scrambled onto the sofa. Alec shortly entered the room and shut the door, smiling fondly at them all before getting back on task with preparing dinner.

"Auntie Tessa! Look, look! My horns are growing! See?" Max giggled as he pointed to the little white horns poking out of his forehead. Rafe curled up in Magnus's lap and smiled quietly at his little brother, giving Magnus a hug.

Tessa gasped as she smiled at Max. "Wow Max! Look at them! You're getting so big now. Come give me a cuddle and tell me all about it." She gathered up the little toddler and sat him on her lap as he began to tell her how his horns started appearing a few days ago.

Magnus looked down at Rafael, who had always been a quiet boy ever since they found him in Buenos Aires not too long ago, and gently ruffled his curling mop of brown hair. Rafael glanced up at Magnus, his sleepy brown eyes curious underneath light sloping eyebrows. "So how was your day Rafe? Did you have fun at Maryse's with your little brother?"

Rafe nodded letting out a sleepy yawn as he laid his head on Magnus's chest. "Where's Chairman?"

"I'll go have a look. You sit here next to Tessa and try not to fall asleep before dinner." He said pressing a kiss on the top of his head before getting up. Rafe leaned into Tessa's side as she stroked his hair, both watching Max as he excitedly finished his story.

As evening started to appear a few hours later, Alec and Magnus found themselves curled up together on the sofa with Max and Rafael quiet and content in their pajamas as they finished watching _Peter Pan_. Rafael watched in idle amazement as the now golden Jolly Roger soared into the sky as it took Wendy, John and Michael back home to Kensington Gardens, cuddling a purring Chairman Meow in his lap.

"Papa, I want to be a pirate when I grow up." Max whispered from his spot next to Alec, wrapped in his favourite comfort blanket that he'd had since he was a baby.

"That's an excellent vocation Blueberry. I remember when I decided on a life of piracy in Peru. Admittedly, my very short career didn't go quite as planned but I'm sure yours will be notorious." Magnus absent-mindedly began to draw little swirling circles on the back of Alec's hand with his fingertips, sending tingles up Alec's spine.

"Can Rafe be a pirate too? And Chairman?" Max asked, turning his head to Rafael. "We could steal the Jolly Roger and find Neverland ourselves. Wouldn't that be fun?"

Rafael nodded as he scratched behind the Chairman's ears. Chairman Meow let out a low rumble as he stood up and languorously stretched his long feline body before hopping off the sofa and strutting off towards the boys' bedroom.

"I think it's time for bed, you two." Alec announced, earning a groan of protest from Max. Rafael stood up from the sofa, giving Magnus a hug. "Go on. Don't forget to brush your teeth and I'll be through to tuck you in, in a moment."

"Okay, goodnight Daddy." Max sighed leaning up to kiss Alec's cheek before crawling over to Magnus and doing the same. Rafael swapped with Max and gave Alec a hug before he waited for Max to be done. "Good night Papa."

"Good night Blueberry." Magnus smiled as both boys exited the room together. Alec shuffled closer to Magnus on the couch and linked his fingers between Magnus's, happy that they were finally alone for the moment. The credits of the movie started rolling up the screen of the TV. Magnus turned to Alec thoughtfully. "You know, I actually met J.M. Barrie once. He got kidnapped by faeries whilst on holiday in Kensington Gardens when he was a child and I had to alter his memories so he wouldn't remember the courts. He lost his brother that day too, poor boy."

"That's such a shame." Alec murmured as Magnus's fingers trailed up and down his arm.

"Indeed." Magnus replied, turning his head into Alec's neck. "Of course, he got the fairies wrong and the crocodile was most likely a Greater Demon but the lost boys and the Indians were near enough the same. All lost children stuck in the faerie realm being chased by Unseelie knights." He pressed a lingering kiss to Alec's neck, right on top of the pulse point sending a shiver across Alec's skin. Alec leaned into him, letting his free hand trail over Magnus's hip and up underneath his shirt. "The mundanes tend to forget what a nightmarish place the faerie realm can be." Magnus kissed along Alec's jaw, inching his way closer to Alec's mouth.

"I don't want to talk about the fair folk, Magnus…" Alec murmured turning his head and kissing his lips. Even after five years of being together and raising a family, there was still that electric spark dancing in his chest that he had felt when they first met. Alec grasped hold of Magnus's shirt, bunching the fabric tightly in his fingers as he pulled Magnus closer, breathing in his cologne as Magnus let his hands wander around Alec's body.

"Daddy, we're ready!" Alec jumped as they suddenly broke away at the sound of Max calling from his bedroom. Magnus let out a slow calming breath, his cat eyes dilated as he reluctantly pulled away from his lover. Alec gave him a tight smile as he hopped off the couch.

"I'll pour us some drinks." Magnus whispered summoning a bottle of red wine and two glasses with a snap of his fingers. Alec pecked his lips before leaving to tuck the boys in their beds. Magnus set down the glasses on the coffee table and switched the television off with a wave of his hand, pouring the wine into each glass until both were half full. Leaning back he took a sip from his glass, savouring the rich tangy taste and waited for Alec to return.

Magnus stared around his loft which had changed so much in the last few months. What had once been a place where Magnus could express himself through the finest details of design, had now become more homely than he ever could imagine. There were some of Max's stuffed animals strewn in odd places around the room. One of Rafael's light up sneakers tipped on its side by the door next to Alec's quiver of red fletched arrows. His own spell books lay open on the desk in his study area next to his cauldron from when he had been teaching Max how to conjure glittery bubbles in the air. Alec's abhorrently holey sweater sat lovingly folded up on the back of the chair. All of these details were what made Magnus more at home than ever. _Now this is more like a home_ _,_ he thought to himself.

"The boys are both tucked in and Chairman Meow is sleeping on the end of Rafael's bed." Alec said quietly as he slumped down beside Magnus, picking up his glass of wine and taking a sip.

"Good," Magnus pecked Alec's cheek and they sat in contented silence. When their first glass of wine was finished, Magnus reached forward and poured another for each of them. "Alexander, I've been thinking that perhaps Tessa's right. We should do something for our anniversary."

"What would you suggest?" Alec turned interested to Magnus. There was a gleam in Magnus's feline eyes that promised mischief.

"Well, I could call in a favour from Catarina to look after the boys for a week perhaps." Magnus leaned in and started kissing along Alec's jaw. Alec lay back against the arm of the sofa, feeling the comforting weight of Magnus's slim body rest against his own. "Then we could portal ourselves to Venezuela, spend some time on the beach, have a few cocktails…" Magnus trailed down Alec's neck as his free hand inched his sweater up Alec's chest. "No kids, no responsibilities. Just you, me and hotel room service."

"That does sound like a good idea…" Alec's breath hitched as Magnus gently bit his earlobe. Suddenly Alec's phone buzzed in his pocket. With a frustrated sigh he took out his phone and answered it. "Hello, who's this?"

"Alec, its Jace. Are you busy right now?"

Magnus snapped his fingers and teleported their glasses onto the coffee table out of harms way. Alec watched distractedly as Magnus leaned close and began peppering lingering kisses around Alec's throat and collarbone, casually nipping at the skin every few minutes. "Um, you could say that."

A moment passed before Jace replied. "Don't tell me you're in the middle of getting laid Alec."

"Well, hopefully." Alec remarked, trying his best to concentrate as Magnus's hands dragged down his chest towards his belt. "Look, what's the problem?"

"By the angel Alec," Jace groaned from the other end of the line. "Alright, there's been a bust up between the vampires and the pack. Something about a bar crawl gone awry I think but now things have gotten a bit tense."

"What am I supposed to do? Tell them to take their issue to the Sanctuary in the morning like you usually do." Alec met Magnus's eyes as his belt was unbuckled, his mouth pulling into a teasing grin.

"The vampires don't want to wait until morning Alec. They're pissed off and drunk."

Magnus unbuttoned Alec's trousers and slowly teased the zipper down. Alec bit his lip to try and stop the moan inched its way out of his mouth. "Look, I can't really do much now Jace. Just try and figure this one out on your own for once. Sorry."

"But Alec -"

Alec hung up chucking his phone across the room before his mouth crashed clumsily into Magnus's, knocking him back against the arm of the couch. Dragging his sweater and shirt over his head he let out a moan as he straddled Magnus's hips and pressed himself closer to Magnus's chest. "Finally," Magnus gasped. "I thought he'd never shut up."

"I know." Alec mumbled against Magnus's skin, kissing his way sporadically across his chest as he undid the buttons of Magnus's shirt. He would never rip any of Magnus's clothes – not unless he asked him to – because he knew that Magnus would get annoyed about it. Buttons undone he yanked his shirt down over his toned arms, his fingers eager to gain access to his skin. "Now, what was that about Venezuela?"

Magnus let out a low rumbling laugh as he gripped Alec's hips, making Alec's breath hitch in his throat. Magnus leaned up and kissed a white scar of a rune on Alec's collarbone. "Do you remember that time in Paris? The candlelit dinner, the romantic walk along the Seine…"

"That god-awful violinist," Alec chuckled, remembering the screech of the violinist's bow tear against the strings as he played outside their hotel room window. Magnus moaned as Alec tugged on his hair, pulling him up as he nipped at his collarbone. "How could I forget?"

"We could have that again…" Magnus gasped, his hands feverishly trying to drag the rest of their clothes from their bodies. "We could go back to Paris for our honeymoon if you want."

Alec broke away suddenly in shock and stared at Magnus. "Honeymoon?"

Magnus smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, you know for when the Clave finally gets their heads out from their a-"

Alec kissed Magnus happily as Magnus smiled. "I'd love to."

"Good. Now that's settled…" Magnus flipped them over so that Alec fell back against the other arm of the sofa. Magnus kissed Alec's lips smiling as Alec followed when Magnus pulled away. "How's about we take this to the bedroom, hmm?"

"Dad! Dad!" Rafael suddenly yelled as he scrambled into the room.

"Rafe, stop! One minute just…just stay where you are!" Magnus yelped pulling away from Alec, who stared up in horror and embarrassment. Magnus sat up and peered over the back of the sofa.

Rafael stood still peering back at Magnus, taking in his mussed up hair and swollen lips in confusion. "What were you doing?"

"Uh, Alexander and I were…well, um…" Magnus stammered trying to think of a suitable excuse for his appearance.

" _Oh, for the love of Raziel_ …" Alec whispered before clearing his throat. "What's the matter Rafe? You should be asleep."

Rafael glanced at the sofa where he saw Alec's head resting on the sofa arm. "Max is on the ceiling again."

The blood drained from Alec and Magnus's faces as they hurriedly sat up, fastening their trousers quickly before following Rafe into his bedroom to find Max sleeping soundly upside down from the ceiling above his bed. Alec only just managed to get there in time before Max suddenly woke and fell with a wail, catching Max swiftly in his arms as the toddler cried. "Shh, Max its okay. You're safe. Daddy's got you." Alec cooed soothingly, hugging him close to his chest as he sat down on the toddler's bed.

Magnus breathed a sigh of relief. "Good job Rafe." Magnus swooped down and kissed Rafe's forehead. Magnus glanced worriedly at Alec. "Is Blueberry okay?" Alec nodded back with a smile. Max started to hiccup in Alec's arms which woke up Chairman Meow with sleepy yowl. Magnus narrowed his eyes at the cat. "Typical. You were given one job Chairman. Bad cat."

Chairman Meow looked up at him and tipped his head in confusion. Alec shook his head as Max slowly calmed down. "Alright, let's get you back to bed."

Alec tucked Max back into bed, making sure that Max's sheets were tight enough to keep him on the bed. Rafe crawled back into his bed as Magnus tucked in his sheets. "Night Dad." Rafe mumbled sleepily as he turned on his side. Alec looked over in surprise and saw Magnus smiling down at Rafael.

"Good night son." Magnus stroked his son's sleeping head before he followed Alec quietly out of the room. As soon as the door closed behind them, Alec kissed Magnus with a smile. "He called me Dad, Alexander." Magnus felt pride swell in his chest.

"I know." Alec held his hand and led the way to their bedroom, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Come on, let's go to bed."


	5. Bad Dream

_Hello!_

 _Here's another chapter for you lovely people. Thank you for your reviews. I love hearing from you guys. I've also managed to find a Beta Reader **DensiLovestory** who is absolutely awesome and has helped me edit this. _

_Okay, on to the chapter. For those of you who watch Shadowhunters (I absolutely love it, especially the Malec episode. No need to specify why...), you might find someone a little familiar at the beginning of the chapter. There are no real spoilers for any of the books or the show. I just thought this up after watching the Malec episode and thought it was a nice idea. The next chapter should be up soon. I'm just about halfway through writing it. Please feel free to leave a review._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 **The Lightwood Bane Chronicles**

 **Bad Dream**

It was supposed to be the happiest day of his life, but Alec Lightwood was dreading his wedding day.

Just thinking about it whilst he stood at the altar, dressed in a fine golden suit with Jace and Isabelle by his side, his collar was too tight, his palms were sweating, his knees were so weak they were sure to give out any second; but everyone was smiling. Isabelle was dressed in a long golden dress wearing her ruby necklace and a huge smile on her face. She looked so beautiful.

Brother Enoch solemnly stepped forward and projected his thoughts out to everyone in the room. "Please be seated, the ceremony is about to begin."

Alec glanced at the door. It seemed so far away. He couldn't just slip out without anyone noticing. He was too much of a distraction. He hated being the centre of attention. His parents were watching his every move from the front of the crowd, proud smiles across both of their faces.

Suddenly, music began to play and Alec turned around to face the altar. His hands were shaking and he could feel everyone's eyes staring at the back of his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone join him at the altar but he didn't dare face them yet. He felt too nervous. In no time at all the wedding was almost over. It was time to mark the Wedded Union runes on your partners arm and heart. Alec turned around and froze in horror. Smiling back at him with a glowing stele in hand was a blonde woman he had never met. She was dressed in an elegant golden dress that hugged her curves and her long blonde hair was braided around her scalp until it fell into a long plait across her left shoulder. She offered her hand out for his arm…and he gave it to her.

This was all wrong. How could he be marrying this woman? Who was she? Why was he going along with it? He was gay! He was attracted to men! He was in love with Magnus Bane! Wait...Where was Magnus? Why doesn't he stop this? Alec scanned the crowd looking for any sign of Magnus; crazy styled hair, a handsome face adorned with makeup, glitter shimmering in the air around him. Anything! But he wasn't there.

The woman drew the rune onto Alec's wrist and then on his chest. Why wasn't he stopping her? He looked down at her and she smiled up at him, offering up her wrist and stele. He watched in horror as his hands took the stele and her wrist and drew the Wedded Union runes. One on her arm and one on her chest right above her heart. Why wasn't anyone stopping him? Why didn't Isabelle stop him? She knew he was gay. Why was she still letting him get married to a woman?

Brother Enoch stepped forward and opened his arms. "The union is blessed and now with a kiss the union of these two Shadowhunters will be complete."

Alec stared down at the woman as she stepped closer, leaning up on her toes. No, this couldn't be happening. He couldn't be married to a woman. This has to stop now! But it was too late. The woman's lips touched Alec's in a kiss.

Alec woke with a cry in bed. His heart was hammering against his chest and sweat pouring down his forehead. He felt his body tremble as his eyes darted about the room. He was the only one in the room, but it was the bedroom he shared with Magnus. Alec scrambled out of bed in his boxers and searched about the apartment. "Magnus! Magnus, where are you?"

"In here Alexander." He heard Magnus call from the living room. Alec ran after the voice and stopped in the doorway to find Magnus on the floor playing with Max and Rafael. Magnus looked up in surprise, his yellow cat's eyes looking up and down Alec's body. The boys did the same, although Max tried his hardest not to giggle. Magnus raised a glittery eyebrow and grinned. "Well, this is a sight you don't see every day."

Alec strode toward them and knelt down, grabbing Magnus by the front of his shirt and kissed him in relief. Magnus made a surprised noise against Alec's lips as he tried to kiss him back. A moment later they broke off and stared at each other. Magnus swallowed before he took a deep breath. "Well, good morning to you too, Alexander." Alec sighed in relief.

Max let out a snort of laughter. "Daddy, you forgot your pants!" Rafael laughed along with his little brother as Alec felt his cheeks warm in embarrassment.

"Sorry about that, boys. I just got worried about your Papa that's all." Alec explained earning a concerned look from Magnus. "I'll go and get dressed."

"I'll come with you," Magnus announced, turning to face the boys. "Max I want you to keep practicing that conjuring spell. Do you remember? Like I showed you." Magnus snapped his fingers and suddenly the toaster appeared in front of Max. The young warlock nodded eagerly and began snapping his fingers.

Alec and Magnus made their way back to their bedroom and shut the door firmly behind them. Alec groaned and pressed his head against the back of the door. Magnus stared at Alec in bemusement as he sat down on the edge of their king sized bed. "Do you mind telling me what that was all about? Not that I don't like you walking around the apartment in just your underwear but it's a little bit out of character for you."

Alec turned around and sat down next to Magnus, touching the side of his head against Magnus's own. "Sorry. I just woke up from this horrible dream and I just needed to make sure you were still here."

"Well, colour me intrigued. What was this dream about that got you so worried about me?" Magnus turned to Alec with a coy smile, taking hold of one of Alec's strong hands and drawing small soothing circles on the back of it. Alec ran his hand through his dark hair, which he had recently trimmed, and let out a short laugh.

"It's ridiculous now but…I dreamt that I was getting married…" Alec looked over at Magnus, trying to gage what the warlock was thinking. "…to a woman."

Alec watched as Magnus's eyebrows rose in surprise, feeling a horrible knot of embarrassment bloom in his chest. Magnus cleared his throat and tried to stop a smile of bemusement from appearing on his face. "But you're gay, Alec."

"I know." Alec agreed leaning forward and putting his head in his hands. Magnus softened and gave Alec's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "I told you it was ridiculous."

"If it worries you, then it's not ridiculous Alexander." Magnus said placing a kiss on one of the faded white runes on Alec's shoulder. "Where has this all come from Alec?"

Alec shook his head with a long tired sigh. "I don't know, Magnus." He sat up looking down at his hands in thought. Magnus wrapped his arm around Alec's waist and rested his chin on Alec's shoulder. He waited patiently for Alec to continue. Alec took a deep breath. "Do you ever wonder what your life might be like if we had never met each other?"

Magnus felt his smile drop from his face and he let go of Alec's waist. "What do you mean? Are you not happy?"

Alec frowned for a second as he realised what he said. "No Magnus, of course I'm happy." Alec reached up and touched Magnus's cheek, giving him an endearing smile and Magnus relaxed to his touch. "I just think that perhaps if I hadn't met you, my life would have been very different – for very wrong reasons."

Magnus tipped his head to the side almost like a cat that had caught the look of something interesting and Alec found it pleasantly amusing. It wasn't very often in their relationship that Alec felt like the wiser of them both. Alec smiled and took Magnus's hands. "Magnus, if I had never met you I would probably be married to some random Shadowhunter woman out of duty for my parents, being unhappy and probably still thinking that I was in love with Jace."

"And we both know your taste in men has definitely improved since then." Magnus added with a wry grin. Alec chuckled quietly and squeezed Magnus's hands.

"My point is I'm just glad that I met you all those years ago." Alec finished.

Magnus leaned over and kissed Alec warmly on the lips, feeling his heart thumping loudly in his chest like a steady drumbeat. Alec kissed back, reaching up to touch Magnus's face. A moment later Magnus pressed his forehead gently against Alec's with his eyes closed, breathing in a cool calming breath trying to remind himself that their sons were only in the other room and were very capable of opening doors. "I'm glad I met you too, Alec. More than you could possibly imagine."

"I should probably get dressed." Alec suggested although neither of them wanted to move just yet. Magnus relented with a sigh and with one last peck on the lips he stood up and left the room, leaving Alec some privacy to get dressed on his own.


	6. Making Friends

_Hello!_

 _I am so sorry that this has taken a while to upload. I recently lost my job so I've been trying to sort some things out in the last few weeks but things just got a bit overwhelming. But enough about that, onwards!_

 _This chapter is set a few months before **A Lesson in Tolerance** but it doesn't give any spoilers away. Beatriz is mentioned briefly in this chapter but there is a small cameo from one of our favourite Lightwoods Isabelle. _

_The only other character that is new would be Evie who is a minor character that I created for the purpose of this chapter. She may get mentioned in another chapter or she may not. Time will tell._

 _Thanks go out to my Beta Reader_ **DensiLovestory** _who helped edit this chapter. Feel free to let me know what you think. I absolutely love hearing from you all._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 **The Lightwood Bane Chronicles**

 **Making Friends**

Magnus and Alec knew there was something troubling their son Max as soon as he walked in through the door to their apartment and headed straight to his room without even saying hello.

Their sons had been at the Institute all day whilst Alec and Magnus were busy with work – Magnus having to deal with the various outstanding demands of his clients and Alec going out on a patrol with Jace – so Isabelle agreed to watch over them both whilst Clary was training with Simon. Usually Alec's mother Maryse would volunteer to look after the boys but recently Rafael had started his training and Max didn't want to be left out. Although warlocks couldn't bear runes on their skin and therefore couldn't train with seraph blades, it didn't mean that Max couldn't train with his brother and other Shadowhunter students.

Rafael walked through the door with Isabelle not long after Max, his backpack slung over his shoulder. Alec stood up and greeted his sister as Magnus gave Rafe a hug. "Thanks for watching the boys today."

"It's no problem big brother." Isabelle replied with a smile reaching up and giving Alec a peck on his cheek. "I love spending time with my favourite nephews."

"They're your only nephews," Magnus interrupted with a wave from his desk by the window, Rafael standing beside him as he unpacked his bag. "Well, unless Biscuit's little one decides it's going to be male." Magnus shivered suddenly. "The idea of Blondie breeding little Herondales…it's the stuff of nightmares."

Alec shared an amused look with Isabelle as Magnus spoke. "Be thankful Clary's not going to give birth for another seven months yet." Isabelle said, flicking her long dark hair out of her eyes. "Although, if she's anything like our Mom when she was pregnant with Max, maybe we should be worried."

"I'm sure Jocelyn and Luke will take care of her." Alec said before glancing in the direction Max went with a worried frown. "Did something happen to Max at the Institute? He doesn't seem very happy."

Isabelle shrugged as a small crease appeared on her brow. "I don't know. He was fine earlier."

"None of the other kids at training will talk to him." Rafael suddenly spoke, now seated on the couch and stroking a purring Chairman Meow in his lap.

Magnus swivelled around in his chair and looked at Rafael in concern. "Why won't any of the other kids talk to him?" Rafael shrugged and tickled Chairman Meow's belly as the aging cat flopped on its back in contentment. Alec looked over at Magnus worriedly and Magnus nodded in understanding. "I'll go talk to him."

Magnus stood up and headed to the boys shared bedroom, quietly knocking on the door before turning the handle to let himself in. "Blueberry, is everything okay?"

Although Magnus had offered to magically expand his apartment to accommodate another bedroom, Max and Rafael refused, preferring instead to continue sharing a bedroom despite now growing into early adolescence. At first Magnus couldn't understand their decision. He loved being able to have space where he could just relax in privacy – especially after a particularly stressful day – but he came to realise that perhaps his sons liked the safety of having someone around for company. And, Magnus reasoned, it had proven quite useful in the past when Max had trouble controlling his magic whilst he slept and when Rafael had nightmares of when he was living on the streets in Buenos Aires. So for now, Magnus was okay with the sleeping arrangements.

Magnus glanced around the room, taking in the piles of dirty clothing decorating the floor and other stray belongings not in their usual place. Magnus puffed out his cheeks at the sight before spying Max, lying on his front on his bed, with his face in his pillow. "Goodness Max! Did you and Rafe try summoning a demon in here? It's such a mess." Magnus asked before he blinked in surprise. "Ugh, I sound like an adult. A _responsible adult._ Blueberry, come knock some sense into your Papa before I start doing one of your Dad's lectures."

Max rolled over on his bed until his back was facing Magnus, before curling up into a ball and hugging his knees to his chest. Magnus sat down on Max's bed touching Max's arm with his hand, his fingernails painted a deep purple colour. "Rafael says that the other children don't want to talk to you for some reason." Max stayed silent on the bed and Magnus felt a small bubble of worry starting to form in his chest. "Is everything alright at training? Did something happen to you today?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Max grumbled into his knees. His whole body was tense.

"Are you sure? You know you can tell us anything and we will try to help." Magnus said quietly, rubbing his hand up and down Max's arm soothingly. Max remained quiet. "Your father and I are worried that something is upsetting you."

"I said I don't want to talk about it Papa." Max replied, shaking off Magnus's hand and leaving him feeling hurt. Max breathed in shakily. "Please go away."

Magnus stared at his son worried that he wasn't going to be able to help him. He tried to think of all of the different ways he and Alec had managed to get Max to talk when he was a baby but then realised that probably wouldn't work now on a nearly-teenager. He was in a more difficult position. He was almost thinking of recruiting Alec and Isabelle to come help him when he heard a sniffle and turned to Max. Magnus watched in sorrow as he suddenly realised that Max was quietly crying to himself.

"Oh Max," Magnus gathered Max up in his arms, despite the boy's slight protest and held him against his chest, stroking his dark blue hair as his son wept. "Please tell me what happened. You're really starting to worry me. Should I get Dad?" Max shook his head.

"I hate being a Warlock. Everyone keeps staring at my horns. No one will talk to me because they're too scared. I have no friends Papa." Max cried desperately into Magnus's chest. "Rafael makes friends so easily but whenever I try to go talk to anyone they all avoid me or make fun of my looks. I even tried to glamour myself today but it didn't work."

"But Max, you said you didn't like covering up your skin."

"I don't Papa, but what am I supposed to do?" Max sighed hopelessly, wiping his tears away. "I'm sick of being on my own all the time at training. I do actually want _some_ friends of my own."

Magnus held Max quietly as he let his son calm down. _Blueberry doesn't have any friends,_ Magnus thought with a frown of concern. Life as an immortal is tough as it is, watching your loved ones grow old and die without you, feeling like the whole world is slipping past you and you're just stuck in a pit of concrete unable to move forward. Magnus didn't know what he would do without his friends, even the ones who eventually passed on, knowing that they had helped him through centuries of loneliness and sorrow.

Magnus looked down at his son. "Blueberry, why don't your father and I come to the Institute with you both tomorrow?"

Max grimaced at his Papa. "No, no it's okay. You don't have to. I can figure something out."

"Why not? You're not embarrassed of us are you?" Magnus asked, feeling a nervous knot appear in his chest. "I know we're not the most typical parents compared to other families, but having two fathers is a lot more common now than you might think."

Max shook his head. "Papa, it's not that. Of course I'm not embarrassed of you or Dad. You're my parents, I love you." Magnus smiled warmly as Max spoke, feeling the knot in his chest disappear. "It's just that most kids don't have their parents spying on them in their lessons."

Magnus raised his eyebrows. "Who says we're going to be spying on you? I'm sure your Dad has some business to do with the Alliance and he could need my diplomacy."

Max gave Magnus a look as if to say that he saw right through Magnus's plan. It was a look that Max had seen Catarina give Magnus once when he had tried to persuade her to casually lend him her house keys on her birthday. Suffice to say, Magnus's plan didn't work and Max had been trying to copy that look ever since, thinking that it would make him look more formidable against his enemies when he eventually became a notorious pirate.

Magnus relented with a half smile. "Okay fine, we won't come until your lessons are over. I promise." Max nodded, breaking away from Magnus's arms and picking up one of his books from his bedside table.

"I should probably get some reading done. Beatriz is quizzing everyone on the Accords during the Mortal War tomorrow and I want to make sure I've revised it all." Max said gesturing to the book, which Magnus recognised as Alec's old copy of the Codex, in his hands.

"Okay Blueberry. We'll shout when dinner is ready." Magnus leaned over and kissed the top of Max's head, squeezing his shoulder comfortingly before he left the room.

Magnus walked into the living room. Rafael was sat on the couch watching a film with Chairman Meow whilst Alec was fletching some arrows by Magnus's desk, drawing runes on each one with his stele and putting them in his quiver once he was happy with them. Magnus pulled up a chair next to Alec who glanced at him in greeting before concentrating on another arrow. "Is everything alright with Max?"

Magnus shook his head. "Not really. Did you know that Max is struggling to make friends?"

Alec looked at him in surprise and put down his arrow. "No. I mean – well, Isabelle did mention Beatriz saying he was a little shy around the other kids but I thought it might have been nerves."

Magnus shook his head glancing over at Rafael before lowering his voice. "Max said he tried to glamour himself today Alec."

"He did?" Alec looked towards the boys' bedroom worriedly.

"It's not right Alexander. Max shouldn't have to glamour himself to fit in just because he's a Warlock." Magnus said agitated that a bunch of snot-nosed kids could make Max so upset.

"That's what I said to him."

Magnus and Alec jumped in surprise to find Rafael staring at them quietly from the sofa. Chairman Meow perched next to him peering up at them all as if wondering why no one was looking at him instead. There was a little crease between Rafael's eyebrows. "I told Max that if they had a problem with him being a Warlock then they can all go fall on their seraph blades."

"Good." Magnus said feeling a bubble of pride form in his chest as he looked at Rafe.

Rafe smiled at his parents just as Chairman Meow began to climb up his chest, digging his claws in to his skin to try and get the boy's attention. Rafe stroked the Chairman's head before turning back to Magnus and Alec. "Beatriz said that she wants to take us to Alicante at the end of the week to teach us about how Sebastian Morgenstern brought down the wards during the Mortal War. Can we go please?"

Magnus glanced at Alec who had gone still. The Lightwoods had only recently started telling Max and Rafael about their family's role during the Mortal War, including what had happened to Alec and Isabelle's little brother Max. But they had decided not to tell them how he had died, preferring to say that Sebastian had murdered Max and leave it at that. Even now after more than a decade later, Max's death brought up too much pain. They knew they would have to tell them soon and it would seem that it'd be sooner than they had thought.

Alec nodded stiffly. "I don't see why not. It is part of our heritage as Shadowhunters after all…" Magnus could tell Alec was struggling with how much he wanted to say. Did they sit the boys down and let them know exactly what had happened, or did they wait until their trip to Alicante and deal with the results when they returned home? After all, the subject of Max's death may not come up at all. Maybe they would only focus on the war itself and not how each member fell…

"Cool, I'll go tell Max." Rafe smiled before he stood up and headed to his room with a grumbling Chairman Meow following closely behind. Alec watched Rafe go as a small crease appeared on his brow before suddenly he felt Magnus place a kiss on the top of his head. Alec turned around to find Magnus looking at him sadly.

"I'm fine Magnus." Alec said firmly, dropping the subject for another time. "I'll tell Izzy that we'll pick up the boys tomorrow and we'll see what's going on."

Magnus nodded. "Okay. I'll make dinner." He stood up brushing some invisible lint from his clothes and conjured up a menu from Taki's. Alec rolled his eyes with a smirk.

"I'll go let the boys know." Alec said setting down his stele before standing up and heading to the boys room. "Boys, your Papa is ordering take out – By the Angel, look at the state of this room!"

Magnus chuckled quietly to himself with a shake of his head.

* * *

"Are you sure we couldn't just wait by the door?" Magnus asked casting a glance over at the training room door which was shut at the end of the corridor. "We could just take a peek. They've only got a couple of minutes until the end of their lessons anyway."

"Magnus, you promised." Alec said not taking his eyes away from the documents in his hands. The documents were outlines for Downworlder rights to territory and voting ages. All pretty dull stuff but had to be done.

"I know, I know." Magnus grumbled turning away from the door and looking at Alec. "I just want to know if Max is okay that's all."

"He'll be fine. Rafe's with him." Alec closed the folder in his hands and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "And if not we'll talk to Max together."

The door opened and a dozen students came flooding out tiredly. Some were chatting with each other about their plans for the evening whilst others complained about their aching limbs. There was even a pair of boys holding each other up as they limped behind at the back of the group. Lastly, straggling at the back of the class Rafael and Max walked out. Rafe shouldered his bag with one arm whilst the other patted Max's arm, trying to cheer up his younger brother who pointedly stared at the floor.

"Try not to let them get to you _hermano_ ," Rafael was saying as they walked towards Magnus and Alec. "They're not worth it."

Magnus looked at his sons and felt his eyebrows crease with worry. "Is everything okay? What happened?"

"Nothing Papa. Can we just go home now?" Max said shoving his hands in his pockets and sped up his pace.

"Wait!"

Magnus stopped and turned around to find a young girl around Rafael's age hurrying after them carrying a thick book in her hands. She had long dark hair which was tied back into a messy bun at the back of her head and light brown eyes the colour of chocolate that made Magnus think that she wasn't originally from New York. She came to a stop before Rafe and Max, breathing heavily as she held out the book to them. "You forgot your Codex. I found it lying on one of the benches in there so I thought I'd best return it to…" She trailed off as she looked up at Magnus and Alec stood quietly behind them.

An awkward silence fell around them all as the young girl continued to stare at Magnus and Alec. Magnus put on his most dazzling smile and held out his hand in greeting. "Hello there. I'm Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn and this is my husband Alexander Lightwood. We're Rafe and Max's parents." The girl squeaked and took a step back as she stared at Magnus's hand with wide eyes. Alec caught Max's face turning a bright shade of violet as he shuffled from one foot to the other whereas Rafe was looking between Magnus's hand and the girl in confusion.

Magnus opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Alec putting his hands on his shoulder. "Okay, we'll just let you kids talk for a moment in private. Boys, we'll just be over here."

"I was only saying hello Alexander." Magnus protested as Alec dragged him away down the hall.

"I know Mags, but let's just give them a bit of space for a moment. The poor girl looked like she was about to faint." Alec said as they stopped around the corner.

Magnus scoffed with a roll of his eyes. "Oh come on, I know a have a bit of a reputation but I'm not that scary."

"Maybe not with the family but with everybody else you can be." Alec said as they came to a stop just around the corner of the hallway. Alec cupped his hands on Magnus's face and pressed a small kiss to Magnus's mouth. Magnus let out a long sigh as he wrapped his arms around Alec's waist.

"Okay, fine." Magnus peered around the corner and spotted the girl standing nervously with their sons. "Perhaps we can get a bit closer…"

"Magnus."

"I just want to know what they're talking about that's all. I'm worried about them." Magnus watched as Rafe started speaking whilst Max took the book from the girl.

Alec let out a huff and shook his head. "You're not going to drop this are you?"

"Ssh! I can't hear what they're saying." Magnus shushed with a wave of his hand. Alec rolled his eyes.

"This is ridiculous, Mags."

Magnus turned and gave Alec a look. "Hey, it's your job to worry about their safety and school. Just let me worry about their social lives okay darling? No son of ours is going to grow up with no friends." Magnus peered around the corner and watched as their sons went to sit on one of the benches along the side of the corridor. Magnus could only faintly hear what they were saying.

"So, you're both Lightwoods?" the girl said confusedly.

"Our surname is Lightwood-Bane, actually." Max clarified, his hands fidgeting with the pages of the Codex sitting in his lap. "Well, Rafe's full name is Rafael Santiago Lightwood Bane but that gets complicated to remember. We all just tend to call him Rafe instead."

" _Hermano_ , you're getting off track." Rafe said nudging his brother's arm.

"Oh right." Max blushed. The girl let out a giggle. "So what's your name? You never said."

"Oh sorry! I'm Evie." The girl – Evie – smiled widely as she held out her hand for them to shake. "I'm living with my aunt and uncle in Queens whilst my mother is on business in Idris. They're my closest relatives outside of Canada and my mother didn't want me missing any of my training. Hey, did you understand what Beatriz was talking about with the Accords? I got so confused."

"Tell me about it. I was nearly falling asleep with the boredom." Rafe said. He grinned at Max and pulled him into a one armed hug. "It's a good job Max here was taking notes otherwise I'd have no clue what's going on."

"Get off me Rafe." Max laughed trying to shove Rafael's arm off him. "By the Angel, Rafe you're so annoying sometimes."

"True _hermano_ true, but would you have me any other way?" Rafe chuckled and let go of him. Evie laughed with him as Max flattened out his ruffled hair.

Evie smiled at them both. "You know, you're both alright. Bernard said that you were weird but I don't think so."

"Bernard is a _burro_ and looks like he has demon pox." Rafe replied and Max nodded in agreement. "We're much better company if you ask me."

"I'll keep that in mind." Evie grinned turning to look at Max nervously. "My uncle's probably waiting for me already but can I ask you something before I go?"

Max blinked in surprise and nodded. "Sure."

Evie glanced up at Max's horns and bit her lip hesitantly. "Do your horns hurt you? They look pretty painful to be growing out of your head like that."

"No. They never hurt. Half the time I forget they're there." Max said his hands fumbling with his Codex.

Evie nodded and shuffled closer to him on the bench. "Can I touch them? I mean if that's alright. I've never met a warlock before and you seem nice."

Magnus felt his eyebrows rise in surprise and he glanced at Alec to see the same expression. Max glanced at Rafe who shrugged before turning back to Evie and nodded. Hesitantly, Evie reached out and gingerly pressed her fingers to one of Max's horns letting out a gasp. "Wow, they're like goat horns. That's so cool! I would've thought they'd feel rough but they don't, they feel smooth -" She cut off her sentence with a blush as Rafe and Max started to laugh. "Sorry, my mother says I can never stop talking once I get going."

"It's alright. No harm done." Max grinned as Evie let her hand drop and stood up.

"I've got to get going. Thanks for…you know." Max and Rafael stood up picking up their bags as Evie shifted from foot to foot. "I'll see you tomorrow. Perhaps we can sit together."

"Sure, that'll be great." Max grinned widely.

"Cool. Bye Max." Evie said with a small wave of her hand. She glanced at Rafe behind him and blushed. "Bye Rafe."

" _Adios._ " He replied and Evie ran off down the corridor past Magnus and Alec who were smiling proudly at each other.

"See that Alec? Complete naturals our sons. I don't know why you were so worried." Magnus said as Alec rolled his eyes. Max and Rafael walked up to their parents with smiles on their faces.

"Max has made a friend." Rafe said proudly messing up Max's hair much to his little brother's annoyance. "I think she might fancy him."

"No she doesn't. I'm ten!" Max protested smoothing out his hair and glaring at Rafael.

"So?" Rafe chuckled as Alec took his backpack and slung it on one of his shoulders.

"Rafe stop teasing your brother." Alec said in a light tone, wrapping one arm around his son's shoulders and led him off down the corridor. Magnus and Max followed shortly behind; one of Magnus's arms hugging Max into his side as they walked.

"I'm proud of you Blueberry." Magnus said quietly. "Your Dad's very proud too."

"Thanks Papa." Max replied.

"Hey, why don't we invite her round for dinner sometime?" Magnus suggested to which Max rolled his eyes with a smile.

"Papa, we've only just met." Max said as they got in the elevator with Alec and Rafe. "You don't invite complete strangers round for dinner as soon as you meet them."

"I used to invite strangers to my parties all the time when I was younger. I think I was drunk half the time but it still worked out alright in the end. That's actually how I met your father in the first place." Magnus said as Alec gave him a look.

"Actually, we gate crashed one of your parties and ended up with Simon turned into a rat after one of your cocktails."

"Ah details," Magnus said waving his hand. "The point is it all worked out in the end and we're all better off for it."

"I still think she fancies Max." Rafe shrugged earning a friendly shove from his brother.

"She does not!"

"She does!"

The boys grappled playfully with each other all the way home with Magnus and Alec watching on holding hands and smiling as they went.


	7. The Case of the Missing Child

_Hello everybody!_

 _I am so sorry that this update has been a while. I've not been very well lately but this is a pretty long chapter to make up for it. Thanks go out to my Beta Reader **DensiLovestory**. All of your reviews really make my day. _

_This chapter is set somewhere after **City of Heavenly Fire** but before **Lady Midnight**. Spoilers from **Born to Endless Night** and possibly some of the stories in the **Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy** series (I haven't had a chance to read them yet so there may be a few details out of place). I only own Leslie and Ria who I created for the purpose of this chapter. Also there is a trigger warning for hints of rape towards the end of the chapter.  
_

 _Please feel free to leave a review. I hope you all enjoy it and hopefully the next chapter will be up sooner than expected._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 **The Lightwood Bane Chronicles**

 **Magnus Bane and the Case of the Missing Child**

Magnus smiled fondly at Max and the little blue warlock giggled as a sparkling blue bubble popped on the tip of his nose. Max laughed clapping his hands excitedly from his seat on the floor. Max crawled over to Magnus and touched his knee twice.

"Again? Okay Blueberry, this is the last time and then Papa has to get back to work." Magnus raised his hands and wiggled his fingers. Max watched with wide eyes as Magnus conjured up thousands of glittering bubbles, scattering them all around them both with a gentle flourish of his hands. Max let out a loud squeal of delight, stretching up to pop a particularly fat bubble which had formed the shape of a parrot. Magnus ruffled Max's blue hair as he stood up and left his son to play, returning to his shelf that contained various bottles and vials of magical plants and fungi. Though he didn't like to do it often, Magnus had been asked to create a potion for one of his clients. This particular client had an unfortunate mould infestation in his garden near Central Park which had attracted the attention of a herd of Kelpie.

Kelpies were dastardly creatures of the Fair Folk variety that liked to lure unsuspecting mundane children into nearby ponds and streams to drown them for fun. Naturally, Magnus thought that if you were stupid enough to go near the horse-like beings then you deserved what you got, but his client had offered Magnus as much money as it would take to get rid of them. Magnus couldn't exactly reject his money. He had a family to support now.

Magnus's phone buzzed suddenly from where he had left it on his desk. Picking it up, Magnus answered it as he made his way back into his living room. "Hello?"

"Magnus? It's Catarina. Have you got a minute?"

Magnus smiled. "Catarina! For you, I have all the time in the world." He looked over at Max as he spoke and found his son had abandoned the bubbles and was now on the couch playing with the switch button of Alec's forgotten Sensor.

"Good. Magnus, I need your help with a young woman here at the hospital." Catarina replied. Magnus could hear the sounds of someone crying hysterically on the other end of the phone. "She was found unconscious about an hour ago and she's just woken up. She says that her daughter's been kidnapped."

Magnus frowned, leaning against the back of the couch. "Isn't that a job for the mundane police? Why are you calling me?"

"The woman saw through my glamour Magnus." Catarina said in a hushed and serious tone. "I think it was only for a second but if she can see through my glamour then who knows what else of the shadow world she saw. I suspect her child has been abducted by a Downworlder."

"So you want my help in finding her child." Magnus guessed, looking down at Max as he spoke.

"Please Magnus. If you do this for me, I'll look after Max for an evening for you and Alec."

Magnus was quite tempted by the offer. He hadn't had a date with Alec for some time since they had adopted Max. "Okay it's a deal. Bring her round to my place as soon as you can. I'll call Alec and see if we can get some help from the Institute."

"Thank you Magnus. I'll see you soon."

Magnus hung up and turned to Max who was staring up at him curiously. "Well Blueberry, we're going to be getting a visitor soon. It's time to get my old suit out again." Max frowned in confusion before he turned his attention back to Alec's Sensor.

Magnus headed to his bedroom and flung open the doors to his wardrobe with a flourish, rifling through his many outfits until he had found his favourite pinstriped suit. He held it up admiringly, remembering the last time he had worn this outfit in the 1950s and fondly smiled at the memory of when he first found Raphael. "It looks like Magnus Bane Private Eye is back in business!"

* * *

Magnus looked at his reflection in the mirror and tweaked his hat until it sat just right on his head. Once he was happy with the way it sat, he headed out into his living room and held up his arms with a grin. "Well Alexander, how do I look?"

Alec looked up in surprise as Max gurgled in his lap, drinking from the bottle of milk in his hand. Alec blinked. "You look…good."

"Good? I look good?" Magnus replied disbelievingly. "Come on Alexander, you can do better than that."

"Magnus you know I'm not one for fashion." Alec sighed, taking away Max's bottle before lifting the young boy and resting him against his shoulder, lightly patting the toddler's back. Magnus brushed some lint off his waistcoat.

"Oh well. Did I ever tell you about the time I wore this suit last? I decided to open up a detective agency back in the 1950s." Magnus sat down beside Alec, stroking Max's head as he wriggled uncomfortably in Alec's arms.

"Yes, you wrote it down for me, remember?" Alec chuckled, turning to Magnus. Max let out a little burp against Alec's shoulder just as the front door buzzed. Magnus waved his hand and they faintly heard the front door click open from downstairs. Alec passed Max over to Magnus before going to open the door to the apartment. A moment later, Jace and Clary walked through the door dressed in gear. Alec gave them both a hug. "Thanks for helping."

"It's no problem." Clary replied, waving at Magnus as Jace closed the door behind him. "Maia's offered the pack's help as soon as we can get a description of the woman's child."

"Catarina's on her way with the woman. Apparently this woman could have the Sight so she might have seen a glimpse of the Shadow World but Catarina's not sure how much." Magnus said as Clary came over and cooed at Max, who tugged one of her curls and put it in his mouth to suck on.

"We'd better keep our glamours up just in case." Alec suggested as he started to roll up one of his sleeves, Jace mirroring his movements from beside him. "We can't risk exposing this woman to the shadow world any more than she already is."

"Relax Alec." Jace said clapping his hand on his parabatai's shoulder. "We're just helping her find her child. It's a straight forward easy job."

Alec raised his eyebrow at Jace. "When have things ever been easy for us?"

Magnus rolled his eyes before he turned and pressed a small kiss to Clary's temple. "So how's our little Nephilim-in-training?"

"You mean Simon? He's doing good, a bit nervous about his Ascension but Izzy's visiting him at the moment." Clary said. "I'm sure he'll be fine." She added almost as if she was reassuring herself as well.

"Of course he will. We've failed to get rid of him so far, I doubt we'll succeed now." Jace said nonchalantly, checking over his weapons with Alec who had started etching on runes with his stele. Clary rolled her eyes as a small smile crept on to her face.

A loud buzz came from the intercom announcing Catarina had arrived and Alec buzzed them in. Catarina opened the apartment door a moment later, leading in a young girl no older than nineteen with blonde dreadlocks and dressed in a long yellow summer dress. She had moss green eyes which had turned red and puffy, probably due to the hysterical crying earlier Magnus thought as he placed Max on the couch next to Clary and stood up. Catarina squeezed the young girl's hand reassuringly and looked up at everyone in the room. "Thanks again for helping. This is Leslie, the young woman I was telling you about. Leslie, this is Magnus Bane. He's going to try and find your daughter."

Leslie looked up tearfully at Magnus. "Y-you are?" Magnus nodded opening his mouth to speak before the young girl let out a sob and pulled him into a desperate hug. "Oh thank you! You don't know what this means to me. I don't know what I'd do without my little Ria." She spoke with a sweet welsh accent, sobbing loudly into Magnus's waistcoat.

Magnus glanced at Alec who looked at the girl in concern. "Uh it's okay…" Magnus awkwardly patted the girl's back. "We'll do our best. Do you mind telling us what happened?"

Leslie sniffled as Catarina pulled up a chair and she shakily sat down, looking around at everyone in the room. Magnus crossed his arms and looked at her seriously. Clary offered the girl a box of tissues and Leslie took one, staring at Max in her lap for a moment before she dabbed her eyes with it. She began her tale.

"We had won this holiday to New York last year and my Mum told me that I needed to use up the tickets before they expired next month. So I packed a couple of bags and brought Ria with me here. It was going so well. We saw the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty and I was able to take Ria to see The Lion King on Broadway – it's her favourite movie – and we had ice cream and we had fun. But then I decided we should go to Central Park." Leslie blew her nose into the tissue. "I had never been to Central Park but you see it all the time in the movies so I thought why not? We walked along this path by a pond when suddenly we were attacked by these grubby little creatures! I was so scared! One of them hit me over the head and when I woke up, Ria was gone! They took my little girl! And now I don't know what to do. Our plane leaves for London tomorrow but I can't leave without her!"

Leslie burst into tears and Catarina patted her shoulder. Alec came to stand by Magnus, quickly followed by Jace who crossed his arms in front of him. Clary held Max in her lap, completely unfazed as he played with Clary's hair. Alec crouched in front of the girl and placed a comforting hand on her knee. "Can you tell us more about these creatures who took your daughter? What exactly did they look like?"

Leslie blinked at Alec in surprise, taking in his appearance from his bow and quiver to the runes peeking from the collar of his shirt. "T-they were small, brown…a bit knobbly. They smelled horrible. They were wearing rags and they tried taking Ria's hair clips. I managed to kick one of them and I think it swore at me."

"Goblins, it must be." Jace said quietly to Magnus with a grim look on his face. "Did you have anything else on you that would have sparkled? A necklace or earrings perhaps?"

"You believe me?" Leslie asked as a crease appeared between her eyebrows. She turned to Catarina with wide eyes. "I've seen creatures like them before but I…I thought I was just going mad."

"It's okay, you're not going mad." Catarina gave Leslie a warm smile. Leslie stared at Catarina for a moment before she let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank god. I was starting to think I was the only one who could see the blue baby." She gestured to Max who giggled as he sucked on a lock of Clary's hair. Magnus blinked in surprise as Catarina pulled up a chair and turned to Leslie.

"I think we'd better have a small chat, Leslie." Catarina said.

Magnus clapped his hands together in front of him. "Okay, well I think we've got enough information for now. There's coffee in the kitchen and Catarina, make sure Max stays away from the knives. Come on everyone, let's go."

Max let out a small gurgle and waved a pudgy little hand as everyone left the apartment, softly closing the door behind them. Catarina turned her attention to Leslie. "Right, tell me everything."

* * *

"This is definitely the work of goblins." Jace frowned from where he crouched, observing the upturned grass and mud. "Look Clary, you see that? Claw marks – signs of a struggle."

Clary knelt down beside Jace and looked at him seriously. "What makes you think it's our victim though?"

Jace reached out and picked up something small that was half buried in a clump of wilting grass and handed it to Clary. "Leslie said her daughter was wearing hair clips in her hair, right?"

Clary peered closely at the object in her hand. From what she could see it was the remains of a small hair grip – the kind that her mother Jocelyn used to put in Clary's hair in an attempt to tame it before school when she was small. There were a few small strands of white blonde hair hanging from the clip. "They must have ripped it from her head and dropped it during the struggle." Clary said.

"Goblins don't care. If they see something shiny then they'll take it." Jace sighed as he stood up and waved over to Alec and Magnus who were busy patrolling the area in case of another attack. "They're almost like Magpies really."

"Then why take the girl instead? Why leave the clip here?" There was something niggling at the back of Clary's mind at the strangeness of this kidnapping. The facts told her that the attack was on a mundane with the sight and it was done in the middle of the day in broad daylight. Now they had found a hair clip here and no girl. Clary knew that there was something wrong with this but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Find anything?" Alec asked as he and Magnus arrived, holding his bow ready in his hands with an arrow already knocked in to the string as if anticipating another attack. Clary gave the hair clip to Magnus who peered more closely at it.

"I think I may be able to use this to track the girl. Give me a minute." Magnus said frowning in concentration as a small flickering blue flame sparked to life in his fingers.

"There's something not right about this." Clary murmured to Alec and Jace. They nodded in agreement.

"I know." Alec replied as Jace and Clary readied themselves with seraph blades. "I've got this odd feeling that we're being watched. I don't like it."

Magnus let out a breath he didn't even realise he had been holding before he headed off towards a tall copse of trees. "Got it. She's this way."

"Are you sure?" Jace said unsheathing his seraph blade as Alec hurried after Magnus, his attention wary of the area around them as he went.

Magnus tutted and rolled his eyes. "Oh, ye of little faith, of course I'm sure. Come on."

Magnus felt his magic pull him along the trail to the missing girl. It almost felt like a small hook under his skin tugging him back on course if he went the wrong way. It was a little uncomfortable but if it led them all to the little girl then Magnus could bear it for a little while.

Deeper and deeper into the trees they went, the trail leading them in a twisted convoluted path over moss covered logs and through mud filled ditches (ruining a perfectly wonderful suit in the process) until they arrived at a small empty grove unlike any place they had ever seen. Despite it being the middle of Spring where all of nature was born anew, this place was dead. Giant frostbitten trees towered over them, bearing rotten peaches and something akin to apples. The grass beneath their feet was brown and wilted.

"What the hell happened here?" Jace wondered aloud looking around the grove as a small crease appeared on his brow. Clary knelt down by the roots of one of the trees and reached out to touch a fallen fruit but as soon as her fingertips brushed across its skin, it crumbled into dust with a wheezing _Pfft_.

"Never mind that, I don't see the missing girl." Alec frowned from beside Magnus, tightening his grip on his bow handle with unease. "Something's wrong."

"No need to worry Nephilim. She is right here." A woman's voice echoed around the grove sending them all on edge. Magnus's fingers glowed with flickering blue flames as a woman cautiously appeared from between two trees ahead of them, quickly followed by two faerie Knights guarding a little girl of about five years old with dark skin between them. As they appeared in the light, the woman held up her hands in defence. Even in the dim light, Magnus could see that her skin was pale white and that her eyes held almost no pupil or colour at all.

"Kaelie? What are you doing here?" Jace demanded, his eyes flickering between the faerie Knights, Kaelie and the little girl who was currently trembling and crying quietly. "What is the meaning of this?"

Kaelie ushered the Knights forward with a flick of her hand. "We mean no harm or trouble. We've come unarmed. Look, she has been cared for. We only wish to make a trade."

"Why?" Alec asked suddenly, his bow trained on one of the Knights' head though his eyes were watching each of them carefully. "Why did your goblins kidnap her in the first place?"

"We needed to get your attention, of course."

Magnus raised an eyebrow at them. "Well you've certainly got it."

"Please, we don't have much time. We need your help." Kaelie said stepping forward into a sliver of amber sunlight. "Our Queen has vanished."

"Vanished? What do you mean _vanished_?" Clary said narrowing her eyes at the Fae in suspicion. It wasn't the first time that they have had to deal with the fair folk and they were known for their tricks.

Kaelie turned her attention to Clary. "We have not seen our queen in several months. We fear something has happened to her."

Alec shook his head stubbornly. "We can't help you. Technically, we shouldn't even be speaking now. And seeing as you deliberately attacked a mundane, the cold peace states that we should kill you on sight."

"But you haven't."

"Not yet." Alec replied in a tone that made Magnus look over in concern.

Kaelie glared at Alec before deciding to turn her attention to Magnus instead. "We'll make a deal. You can have the child if you help us find our queen. The Seelie Court never wanted this child in the first place. We did not realise she was of the Shadow World."

Magnus blinked in surprise. "Come again?"

"She is a child of Lilith." Kaelie said gesturing to her guard behind her to bring the child forward with a wave of her hand. The little girl stepped shakily into the sunlight next to Kaelie, her wide brown eyes glancing anxiously around the grove for a way out. Magnus peered at the girl closely and was shocked to see her skin covered in dark grey-brown scales, like a crocodile's hide.

The little girl – Ria, Magnus was sure she was called – started to cry as she rubbed her face with the back of her scaly hand. "W-where's my mummy? I want my mummy!"

Clary held her hands up calmly as she stepped forward. "Don't worry sweetheart. We'll take you to her soon."

"I want my mummy now!" Ria cried, fat tears rolling down her cheeks as she wailed. Kaelie kept her hands on Ria's shoulders as if she was her last bargaining chip and the alternative wasn't worth thinking about.

"Let her go, you're scaring her. She's just a little kid." Alec snarled as he shifted his aim to Kaelie's head instead whilst Jace kept his attention on the two faerie knights behind her.

Kaelie straightened up and stared at Alec defiantly. "She'll be free to go as soon as you agree to help us find our queen."

Alec huffed annoyingly. "We told you we can't -"

"We'll talk it through." Magnus interrupted, earning shocked and annoyed looks from everyone except the Fae and the little girl.

Kaelie narrowed her eyes at Magnus in suspicion. "You're not planning on tricking your way out of our trade are you? Because I can inform you now Warlock, you will not succeed."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Magnus said catching Alec's eye and gesturing behind them to the small area where they can huddle in private. Alec seemed to catch his meaning and relaxed his aim, looking at both Clary and Jace and passing on Magnus's plan with a nod of his head. Magnus turned to Kaelie with his most dashing smile. "We are merely going to discuss our decision."

"Be sure that you do, Warlock." Kaelie replied, tightening her grip on the little girl's shoulder. Magnus turned and faced his companions.

"What the hell Magnus?" Jace snapped tapping his seraph blade against the side of his leg in agitation. "I'm assuming you have a plan to get us out of this with the girl."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "No, I thought we would improvise like we always do."

"There is no point in getting into an argument." Clary said crossing her arms in front of her. Alec nodded in agreement as he shouldered his bow. "We need a plan."

"Very true Biscuit." Magnus replied, casting a slow look over his shoulder back at Kaelie and her knights who watched them closely from afar. He turned around and smiled warmly at Alec. "Alec, darling, have you any ideas?"

Alec straightened to his full height and his face took on a serious expression. "The Clave are very clear on the terms of the Cold Peace treaty. We cannot offer help to the Fair Folk nor can they ask for help either. So our only option is to get the girl out of harms way and back to her mother. How we do that, I don't know."

"She looks so frightened. Poor girl…" Clary whispered as she looked forlornly at Ria who continued to cry.

"Focus Biscuit," Magnus touched Clary's shoulder and she nodded with a frown of concentration.

"Ultimately the Fae do not have any grounds on which they can enter into a bargain of any sort with the Clave." Alec continued. "So they must have been desperate to come to us for help."

"Indeed." Magnus nodded. "If the Queen really has disappeared then those of the Seelie court, including the goblins that kidnapped the little girl, may just decide that there is no point in following the rules of the court."

"What would happen if they didn't follow the rules?" Clary asked with a look of concern.

"There would be complete anarchy." Jace sighed. "Babies would be snatched from their cribs and replaced by changelings. Goblins and trolls would attack openly in the streets. Pixies would cause mischief. Basically every story you have ever heard about the fair folk would happen in earnest."

"That's terrible." Clary gasped. Magnus grimaced as he remembered his client from this morning with the request of ridding a herd of Kelpie. Perhaps, Magnus thought with a shudder, the Fair Folk have already begun to realise this. Magnus thought of Max and a small bubble of protectiveness appeared in his chest. What if when Max was old enough to venture out alone, he was suddenly kidnapped by Faeries? What if Max was mugged by some clueless Mundanes and neither he nor Alec was around to save him? Magnus had lived long enough to know that the world was cruel but Max was still only a baby. Alec looked over at Magnus and his mouth tightened into a grim line.

Magnus straightened up and looked at each of his companions. "Alexander is right. They have no power here. That little girl shouldn't even be here."

"What are you going to do?" Alec asked casting a look at Magnus. Jace and Clary turned their attention to Magnus in interest. "Magnus, don't try to make a deal with them. You know you can't trust them."

"Time's up!" Kaelie called loudly from across the clearing. "Will you agree to the Seelie Court's bargain?"

Magnus looked at each of his companions and sighed. "They came here to trade with the Institute whereas I was only employed by the mother to bring her daughter back safe. This is your call."

Jace, Clary and Alec looked at each other with blank expressions before Jace nodded and stepped forward. They readied their weapons in anticipation. Magnus followed suit, spreading out around the clearing with Clary and Alec whilst Jace faced Kaelie.

Kaelie watched his every move anxiously. "Well shadowhunter, what have you decided?"

"We cannot accept your bargain." Jace replied with a note of finality. "We cannot defy the Clave in this matter."

"Your disregard of the Clave's laws has never stopped you before." Kaelie frowned.

"I've done a lot of growing up since then." Jace shrugged. "Now, are you going to hand over the girl or are we going to have to have problems?" Magnus watched the stand off with bated breath, his fingers flickering with sparkling blue fire.

Ria suddenly stomped her feet, looking up at her captor and Jace with teary eyes. "I want my mummy!" she demanded screwing up her face angrily. Magnus felt the air around him grow thin like the start of a thunder storm and looked at Alec worriedly. He felt it too. He caught his eye and worriedly nodded back before running towards Jace. Magnus ran over to Clary.

"Clary get ready to duck." Magnus murmured in her ear.

She looked back at him in confusion. "What do you mean? What's going on?"

Magnus didn't even get a chance to speak before there was an almighty crack in the air and Magnus and Clary were blown back through the air, landing in a painful heap on the ground. Magnus rolled onto his side with a groan and searched the clearing for Alec. He found him lying unmoving across Jace, three feet away from where Ria lay on the ground. Kaelie and her knights were nowhere to be seen.

"Alec!" Magnus scrambled to his feet and ran to Alec's side, rolling him carefully on to his back. There was a horrible smell of singed hair and burning skin coming off Alec as he stared unblinking at Magnus. Magnus shook Alec's shoulders. "Alec love, speak to me. Are you alright?"

Alec blinked and shook his head out of his shock, looking at Magnus in confusion. "What just happened?"

Magnus sighed in relief. "A little girl had a tantrum."

"Right."

Jace let out a groan and lifted his face from the dirt. "I'm alright. You know, don't get over here too quickly."

Magnus helped Alec sit up as he glanced over at Ria who was currently being checked over by Clary. "Is she alright?" Alec called to her.

Clary nodded. "Yeah she's fine. A bit shaken though I think." Clary scooped up the little girl in her arms and brought her over to them. Jace looked over Clary anxiously as he sat up and let out a slow breath. "The Fair Folk have gone."

"Good riddance." Alec said as they all got to their feet. Ria stared at them all quietly in shock, trembling. "I think we'd better get her back to her mother." Alec added gesturing for Clary to hand Ria over to him.

"Jace and I will check the area and file a report back to the Clave. You two go home." Clary said to Magnus and Alec. "We'll call you later tonight okay."

Magnus caught a smell of something burning so he looked down at his suit and sighed, taking in the smoking hole in his waistcoat. "Oh, this suit was vintage."

* * *

"Mummy!"

Magnus watched the happy scene unfold with a smile as mother and daughter were reunited at last in the middle of his living room. Leslie fell to her knees and kissed her daughter's face with tears of joy falling down her cheeks. "Ria, my poor baby. Mummy's here." Leslie pulled her into a tight hug and looked up at everyone over Ria's shoulders. "Thank you so much for your help. How can I ever repay you?"

"It was no trouble really," Alec replied, picking up Max for a hug and standing beside Magnus.

"Well, there was a little trouble but think of this as service from one concerned parent to another." Magnus shrugged reaching up to take Max's hand in his. Alec looked at Magnus for a moment before turning his attention to Max.

Leslie looked at Max. "That baby is yours?" Magnus and Alec nodded proudly. Leslie smiled. "He's such a sweet little boy. He kept making these colourful lights appear in the air whilst you were gone to distract me from worrying."

"Really?" Magnus asked surprised turning to Max with a grin. "Good boy Max! Your Papa is so proud of you." Max gave them a gummy grin whilst Alec kissed the top of his head and gave him a cuddle. Max giggled and suddenly a little green light, almost as small as a firefly, appeared in front of Magnus and Alec and filled them with a feeling of joy. Ria let out a gasp as she stared up at the light with fascination.

"Mummy look! It's magic. Are they wizards Mummy? Like Harry Potter?" Ria asked gleefully, patting Leslie's arm excitedly as she pointed at the light. More had started to appear, ranging in colours from purple to red and even to bright periwinkle blue.

"Why is it always _Harry Potter_?" muttered Magnus turning to Alec. "I'm so much cooler than him. Come on, I don't even need a wand to do magic."

Alec frowned in confusion at Magnus. "Who's Harry Potter?"

Magnus blinked in surprise before he shook his head with a wry chuckle. "Oh, he's no one, some weird English kid who lives in a cupboard under some stairs. Samuel will know who he is."

Alec shrugged and stared at the lights that were now starting to flicker out with wisps of smoke. Magnus turned back to Leslie who was staring quietly at them. Her mouth had turned into a thin line and Magnus caught the faintest tremble of her bottom lip. "Alexander, be a darling and take the children to go play in Max's room for a moment please? I need to have a little talk with Leslie."

Alec nodded and held out his hand to Ria, leading her out of the room. Magnus knelt down and took hold of Leslie's shoulders, lifting her up and sitting her on the couch. With a flash of blue fire, two cups of tea and a box of tissues appeared on the coffee table with the logos for Taki's diner printed on the sides. Tugging a tissue out of the box and handing one of the cups to Leslie, he waited for her to speak.

"Your little boy…he's different isn't he? Like Ria." Leslie asked quietly, taking a small sip from her tea.

Magnus nodded. "Yes."

Leslie sipped her tea for a moment before she looked up at Magnus. "Your friend Catarina explained a few things to me before she had to get back to the hospital. About how Ria was born and how…" She trailed off and stared past Magnus as if she was in a trance. One of her dreadlocks fell forward into her face.

Magnus touched her hand comfortingly. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me."

Leslie shook her head and took a deep breath. "It's fine. I was fourteen at the time. I didn't know what was going on. All I know was that he was a…he was a monster."

"I know it must have been hard for you. Especially at such a young age."

Leslie nodded. "It was hard. I told my mother what happened to me and she was in shock for months after I told her. I didn't even know I was pregnant until it was too late to get an abortion…" Leslie shook her head and sipped her tea. "It doesn't matter now. When Ria was born, I knew she was different but I just thought she had some weird skin condition. But when she started to grow she started to do these incredible things." Leslie smiled suddenly and pulled a chain from around her neck. Hanging on the end of it was a clear glass pendant. "When Ria was three we went to the beach and she made these little glass pebbles out of the sand. I had no idea how she did it but I knew it was her."

Magnus smiled quietly at her as she tucked her pendant back into the hem of her dress. Leslie placed her cup on the coffee table and turned to Magnus seriously. "What will happen to Ria when she gets older? Will she turn bad like…like _him_ or will she still be good?"

"I can't tell you what she'll be like when she gets older because I don't know. Every child is different."

"What about you? What were you like when you were Ria's age?" Leslie asked glancing at his cat like eyes.

Magnus remembered his childhood growing up in a Spanish monastery, discovering he could do magic and teaching himself everything he could with no help from anyone else. Magnus shrugged his shoulders. "I don't remember, it was a very long time ago. But your daughter is luckier than most because she has you."

"I won't be enough for her though." Leslie frowned. "What if something like this happens to her again? What use is a mother like me if I can't even protect my own child?"

Magnus suddenly had a thought. "There may be something I can do to help." He snapped his fingers and a notepad and pen appeared in his hands. "This is the address for the High Warlock of London, whoever that is now. Go there with Ria and tell them Magnus Bane sent you and ask for their protection." Magnus scribbled down the address and ripped it from the pad, handing it over to Leslie. "I can't promise anything, but it's hopefully a start at least. And before you go home, I can teach Ria the basics of creating a glamour to cover her skin, just in case anyone thinks of snatching her again."

Leslie stared at Magnus with wide eyes. "Really, you can help?" She took the paper and stared at it in amazement. "I don't know what to say."

"I meant it when I said she's luckier than most to have a mother like you. Her life's not going to be easy but it shouldn't have to be as hard as it was for the rest of us." Magnus said just as Alec, Max and Ria came back into the room. Ria ran around the couch to her mother with a big smile on her scaly face, holding Chairman Meow in her hands.

"Mummy, look at the kitty. Isn't he fluffy?" Chairman Meow yowled in contempt but didn't try to wriggle from her grip. Magnus felt Alec's hand touch his shoulder.

"Chairman Meow was hiding underneath Max's bed again. I think he knew we were coming." Alec murmured into Magnus's ear as Leslie talked to her daughter. Max wriggled in Alec's arms, stretching out for Magnus who held him against his chest as he fell asleep. Magnus gently rocked Max in his arms and Alec perched beside him on the arm of the couch. "You're really warming up to this parenting thing aren't you?"

Magnus half shrugged. "Well, what can I say? I'm a changed man." Magnus looked over at Leslie who was currently holding Ria in her lap whilst she tickled Chairman Meow's whiskers. Leslie mouthed a quick _thank you_ over Ria's shoulder at them with a smile. Magnus looked up at Alec. "You've finally domesticated me. Consider that a great achievement."

"I'll be sure to include it in my memoirs." Alec replied dryly and bent down to kiss Magnus's mouth.


	8. Adventures in Babysitting Part One

_Hello everybody!  
_

 _I am so sorry that I have taken so long to update. I've been having some personal issues this past month and I felt too depressed to write anything. But alas I am back!  
_

 _Thank you so much for your reviews of the last chapter. I felt a little unsure about how people would react to the story (especially what happened to Leslie in particular) but I'm so happy that it was so well recieved. In response to **JockoRivera** 's review, I do have an idea for Max and Rafe's first meeting but I'm just in the middle of planning it out. Hopefully it will be up soon. _

_Please excuse any mistakes that you find. My Beta Reader hasn't had a chance to look at this because of work deadlines but it should be fine anyway. There are only minor spoilers for **City of Heavenly Fire** but this is mostly a fun little chapter that I thought of. There are two or three more parts to come. _

_I look forward to hearing from you all. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **The Lightwood Bane Chronicles**

 **Adventures in Babysitting – Part One**

"Come on Alec, we're going to be late!" Magnus called from the living room as he gathered his coat and his keys. He caught his reflection in the mirror one last time and smiled. He was dressed in his most elegantly sophisticated attire – dark slacks and the brightest, pinkest shirt he could find that was appropriate for a fancy restaurant – and his hair was styled and spiked to perfection. It had been a while since he and Alec had gone out for the night and so Magnus wanted to make an effort. Glancing at the watch on his wrist he sighed. "Alec, we're going to miss our dinner reservation!"

"Coming!" called Alec as he stumbled into the living room, fidgeting with the sleeves of his shirt, Isabelle following him with a knowing grin. He smiled nervously at Magnus before anxiously turning to his sister. "Are you sure Simon knows what he's doing? I mean he's never actually looked after the boys before tonight."

"I'll be here the whole time. Nothing bad will happen, brother. Go out and have fun." Isabelle laughed, reaching up and kissing his cheek. "Simon is just going to play some games with them, we'll have dinner and then bath time and bed."

"And you've got the takeaway menu right?"

Isabelle frowned. "I said I was cooking tonight Alec, don't you remember? I'm doing Carbonara."

Magnus stared at Isabelle in alarm. "I'm sure that your Carbonara would be lovely but we already told the boys that you were ordering takeout."

"But I worked so hard on it! The sauce didn't curdle the last time, I swear on the Angel." Isabelle protested just as Simon walked in with the boys, carrying blankets and pillows to make a fort in the living room. Rafael dropped his things and hurried over to Magnus, hugging him tightly around his waist. Max looked up at Alec with wide eyes, his little horns just starting to curl at the sides of his six-year-old head.

"Daddy, do you and Papa have to go?" Max asked quietly, clutching his favourite comfort blanket to his chest. Alec knelt down and gave Max a tight smile.

"Yes Max. Papa and I are only going out for a few hours so we'll be back soon." Alec said, rubbing Max's arm gently. "But hey, you have your Aunt Isabelle to play with and your Uncle Simon is here as well."

"Yeah, of course." Simon smiled at the young warlock. "I'm going to teach you and your brother how to play Dungeons and Dragons. It'll be fun."

"Dungeons and what?" Alec asked staring up at Simon in confusion.

"It's a role playing game Alec," Isabelle clarified. "Not _that_ kind of role playing, but you use your imagination for it anyway."

Alec stared at his sister unsure whether to be creeped out or surprised at how she knew what Simon was talking about. He decided he didn't want to know. Pulling Max into a hug, he kissed his son goodnight and stood up. Magnus was trying his best to remove Rafael's arms from around his waist. "Rafe, it's time to let go of Papa. We promise we'll be back soon." Rafe shook his head and held on tighter. Magnus looked up at Alec and gave him a "help me quick" look.

Alec glanced around the apartment, looking for the one thing that they had found would help Rafe calm down whenever he got worked up. At last he found what he was looking for. Hiding unsuccessfully on top of Magnus's bookshelf was Chairman Meow. Alec smiled as he reached up and picked up the cat, carefully bringing him down and with a scratch behind his ears. Chairman Meow purred happily as he was placed on his customised cushion on the sofa. "Rafael, why don't you come over and give the Chairman some cat treats? You know how much he likes that." Alec suggested stroking the little cat's head as his ears perked up with interest.

Rafe looked over at the Chairman and slowly let go of Magnus, disappearing into the kitchen and returning with a pot full of cat treats, holding one in his fingers and offering it to Chairman Meow. The little cat gratefully gobbled the cat treat up and looked up expectantly for more. Rafael smiled.

"There you go Rafe. We'll see you both tonight." Alec pressed a kiss to Rafael's head as he continued feeding Chairman Meow. Alec hugged his sister and added in a hushed voice. "If Rafael struggles to get to sleep tonight, just play the CD with the Spanish lullabies on it when he goes to bed. He'll go right off to sleep then." Isabelle nodded and shooed him out of the door, waving at Magnus with a smile before closing the door behind them.

Alec let out a nervous laugh and let Magnus lead him down the stairs. "They will be okay right?" Alec asked Magnus as the exited out on to the street and made their way to their date. Magnus nudged his side playfully.

"Of course they will. You just need to relax and take your mind off being a parent for a few hours." Magnus replied reassuringly. Alec let out a slow breath and nodded.

"Yeah, you're right." Alec pressed a kiss to Magnus's cheek and slowly felt himself relax as they walked. "What could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

Alec couldn't remember the last time he had ever had this much fun. Spending the evening with Magnus alone, without any children or responsibilities to worry over, had felt like a breath of fresh air. They had laughed and smiled, drank cocktails and even had a drunkenly awkward dance together before they decided to call it a night (despite it already being the early hours of the morning) and head home for a nightcap – and to relieve Simon and Isabelle of their babysitting duties for the night, of course.

"We should do this more often!" Magnus cheered into Alec's ear as they stumbled their way down the street to their apartment. "We're too young to be all stuffy and in bed before midnight! Don't you think my darling?"

"Speak for yourself." Alec chuckled, pausing for a moment to regain his bearings as the world tilted around him. He groaned as he suddenly felt his stomach lurch uncomfortably. "I think it'll be a while before I can drink that much again. My body is just not used to that level of alcohol."

Magnus scoffed and tugged Alec around to face him. He stared blearily at him with a pout. "Perhaps we should just skip the nightcap and go straight to bed." Magnus raised one of his eyebrows and gave Alec a slow suggestive smile, sliding his arms up Alec's biceps. Alec could feel his heart steadily pounding in his chest as Magnus leaned close and whispered in his ear. "You looked so handsome tonight."

"You always say that Magnus."

Magnus gasped in mock offence. "I say that because it's true." Alec felt one of Magnus's hands slide down his left arm until he touched his scarred skin. "Have I ever mentioned before how much I love your marks?"

Alec gave Magnus a bemused look. "My Runes you mean? I didn't know you liked the runes of the Nephilim so much."

"No, I meant just _your_ marks." Magnus said slowly leading them both down the street again. "The things you can do with your runes. Your Strength rune, your Agility rune…your Stamina rune…" Magnus glanced at Alec from the corner of his eye as they rounded a corner on to their street.

"Magnus."

"I mean the possibilities are endless. Just imagine what you could do with them when you, say for example, weren't in a life and death situation…" Magnus continued.

" _Magnus_."

"I'm just saying it's a possibility. You don't have to if you don't want to -"

"Magnus!" Alec interrupted in a serious tone. Magnus blinked at him in surprise wondering where this particular mood had come from. Alec pointed up at their apartment building ahead of them, his eyes wide in horror. "Magnus, I'm hoping this is just from the alcohol but please tell me that isn't a dragon I'm seeing sitting on our windowsill…"

Magnus looked up at where Alec was pointing and felt his jaw drop in shock. Sitting on a windowsill of their apartment, snorting out puffs of lilac smoke from its nostrils was a short, fat emerald green dragon the size of a piglet, complete with leathery wings and scaly tail.

Without a moment to lose, Alec and Magnus sprinted to their building, leaping up the stairs and crashing the door open to find their loft in complete chaos. Chairman Meow was trembling up on top of Magnus's bookshelf, hissing and spitting at several onyx bats that swooped by him. Spaghetti Carbonara – or what looked like it – was coating the walls and floors. The rest of the floor was covered in a thick muddy marsh, complete with a stinking bog and a bubbling pit of lava. Max and Rafael cowered together on the sofa with their Aunt Isabelle who was cracking her whip at bats and chubby dragons whilst Simon tried his hardest to fight off a thick slimy tentacle sliding up from beneath their feet.

"This is the worst idea you've ever had Simon!" Isabelle snapped as she cracked her whip and sent another bat flying into the wall above Magnus's head.

"How was I supposed to know this would happen?" Simon replied squeakily, hacking at a tentacle sucker with a seraph blade. "I told them to _imagine_ the swamp not actually create it!"

"WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON HERE?" Magnus bellowed his voice echoing around the room as bright blue sparks danced around his fingers. Simon and Isabelle froze in shock, staring at Magnus and Alec fuming at the front door. A small canary-yellow dragon flew straight into a wall with a loud _thump_ and promptly fell to the floor unconscious. Max and Rafael leapt off the sofa and ran towards their parents, clutching hold of them tightly with shaking hands.

"Oh, you're back!" Simon blurted in surprise, glancing at Isabelle anxiously. "Izzy was meant to call you."

Isabelle glared at Simon with a scoff and swiftly elbowed him in the ribs. "I would have called them, if _someone_ didn't knock my phone into the pit of boiling lava over there!"

"Enough! I don't want to hear it." Magnus snapped, glowering at the pair of them as he waved his hands and sent his magic around the room, scouring and scrubbing away the swamp and the sticky Carbonara coating the wooden floorboards. The dragons and bats disappeared in a series of quiet pops before Magnus looked down at Max, who was clutching his trouser leg fearfully. "Max, what did I say about doing magic without my supervision?"

"It was an accident Papa! I didn't mean to do it!" Max cried tearfully as Rafael nodded beside him, clutching hold of Alec's legs. "It just got out of control."

Alec stared around at the Carbonara slowly clearing away with a grimace, rubbing soothing circles on Rafael's back. "I thought we told you to order takeout."

Isabelle gaped at her brother and put a hand on her hip, stepping down from the sofa. "I hardly think that's the worst of the problems at the moment, brother. For your information, I was just about to when everything went to hell!"

Magnus sighed and held up his hands. "We are not having this argument now. Both of you get out of our home so we can put the boys to bed. I'll come by the Institute tomorrow with the bill for the damages and for the amount of therapy we'll have to put the Chairman through." Magnus pointed at the front door. Alec slowly shrugged apologetically at his sister as they slowly passed.

Just as they reached the door, Magnus threw his arm out and stopped Simon in his tracks. Simon gulped and looked at Magnus expectantly. Magnus fixed him with a cold stare, his yellow cat's eyes narrow and filled with fury. "If you ever think of teaching my sons _Dungeons and Dragons_ again, you will regret the day I ever found you and jogged your memories. Do I make myself clear?"

Simon nodded and hastily hurried after Isabelle, feeling the door slam shut behind him. Magnus turned to Alec and let out a slow breath. "Right, let's get you two off to bed now shall we?" Magnus chirped, lifting Max up into his arms. "By the way darling, let's not let them look after the boys on their own again."

"Agreed." Alec nodded, lifting Rafael up in a hug as they carried them off to bed.

Neither of them noticed the little green dragon from the windowsill slink after them and curl up underneath Rafael's bed, falling fast asleep and sending little puffs of smoke into the air.


	9. Girl Issues

_Hello everybody!  
_

 _I am so sorry I have taken so long to update. I gave this chapter to my Beta Reader a few days ago but I hadn't heard anything from them since so I assumed that there was nothing wrong with the chapter. I hope the length of the chapter makes up for the lateness (I've been writing like a fiend!)._

 _Thank you so much for your reviews. I love hearing from all of you. Welcome to **Jupanuma** and **Manibarilo**._

 _This chapter continues on from my previous chapter **Making Friends** and includes my own character Evie. Honestly, I didn't expect her to be used so much throughout this chapter but as I was writing it just happened the way it did. I really enjoyed writing this chapter so I really hope you all enjoy reading it. I don't think there are any spoilers from the books or the TV show. _

_I will update this chapter if there are any changes from my beta reader._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 **The Lightwood Bane Chronicles**

 **Girl Issues**

"Ow! Did you have to hit me that hard?" Max whined rubbing his arm and shooting a glare at his friend Evie, who was bouncing on the balls of her feet. Her long dark hair, tied back in a long braid was swinging wildly behind her as she shook out her hands and grinned at Max.

"Oh come on Max. Your brother wouldn't complain if he was hit by a girl." Evie held her fists up in front of her face. "Try again. This time raise your arms quicker when you block." Max huffed and raised his arms, throwing a fist towards her face. Evie parried his punch and threw her fist towards Max. Before her punch could land on Max's arms, her fist collided with an invisible wall in a resounding crunch. Letting out a painful yelp and a muffled curse under her breath she cradled her hand against her chest. "Max, that's not fair. We agreed no magic!"

Max gasped and reached out to help her, cautiously touching her shoulder in comfort as she whimpered and tried not to cry. "Sorry. It was a reflex, I didn't even realise I put up a shield." Max led Evie to the bench in the corner of the training room and sat down, passing her a bottle of water. Max gestured to her hand which had bruised and swollen to double its size already. "I can fix your hand if you want. My Papa's friend has been teaching me healing magic."

Evie nodded and held out her hand with a wince as Max rubbed his hands together, feeling a spark of magic flicker to life beneath his dark blue skin. He gently held her hand and she felt the pain slowly fade away. Evie slowly flexed her fingers and turned to Max with a small smile. "I think we should probably stop for today."

Max nodded and let go of her hand, picking up a spare towel and patted the sweat away from his forehead, whilst Evie drank her water. They sat in a comfortable silence as they relaxed and brought their breathing back under control. Max turned to Evie as a worried crease formed on his brow. "Are you okay now?"

"I'm fine Max. Look, all better." She flexed her hand before bumping his shoulder gently with her own. "I'm a Shadowhunter. We're a lot tougher than we look." Evie grinned, taking another swig from her water bottle before screwing the cap back on. Max watched her quietly taking in her long dark hair, the olive tanned skin of her face and her large dark eyes which almost always had a mischievous glint to them. They had been friends for a few years now, ever since the day that Evie ran after Max and his brother Rafe to return his Codex back to him. Max had grown from a skinny, but lankily tall boy with jutting limbs into a teenager who was just starting to feel comfortable in his skin. He was still tall and lanky but he was starting to get stronger.

Evie put her water bottle on the floor beside her and picked up her pink towel, lightly dabbing her damp skin and turned to Max. "So, what are you and Rafe doing tonight?"

"Oh, the usual. Homework, cooking dinner and then probably watching TV with Papa until Dad gets home from patrols." Max shrugged. "Papa's been trying to get Rafe to spend some time away from our bedroom."

"Maybe he likes his privacy."

"That's what I said to Papa but he said that sometimes you can have too much privacy. I don't know." Max shook his head. "Rafe's been really moody since his birthday but Aunt Izzy says it's probably just a phase."

"My cousin was like that. She turned eighteen a couple of years back and then all of a sudden she thought she was too good to be around me, thought I was too _immature_ to hang out with her." Evie rolled her eyes. "I've barely seen her since she got that envoy job in Switzerland."

The door suddenly opened and in popped Rafael's dark haired head, looking at them both with a raised eyebrow. "Hermano, time to go. Aunt Clary is waiting to cast a portal to send us home." Rafael turned his attention to Evie and waved his hand in greeting. "Hola Evie. Have you been beating up my little brother again?" He chuckled with a wry grin.

"Yeah of course." She replied and Max noticed her cheeks growing pinker by the second. "Not that I would willingly beat up your brother unless it's for training." Evie added hastily with a small giggle earning an odd look from Max.

"I'm glad to hear it. I've gotta go. See you in a minute Max." Rafe smiled and quickly exited the room.

"Bye Rafe!" Evie called after him as the door swung slowly shut, a dopey grin painted on her face.

"What was that?" Max asked raising an eyebrow at Evie. She looked back at him in surprise.

"What was what?" she asked innocently, suddenly looking at her water bottle with interest.

" _That_. You were smiling like an idiot at my big brother." He replied waving his hands at Evie and the door. "And you're blushing."

"I am not. I was just being friendly that's all. Besides, don't you have to get going? Don't want you to be late now do we?" She hurriedly stood up and gathered Max's things holding them out to him without looking him in the eye.

He took them slowly, watching his friend suspiciously. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, we'll work on that disarming flip tomorrow on the mats." She nodded as she nudged him towards the door with a smile on her face.

"Alright, see you." He hugged her quickly goodbye before he left the room, feeling confused.

* * *

"Remember, when you're pulling back the string, be confidant with it. It won't snap back on you if you know what you're doing." Alec said patiently, gently adjusting Max's fingers as he stood at the shooting line. "And you know what you're doing Blueberry."

"Dad, we agreed not to call me that here." Max replied sheepishly, cringing at the thought of anyone from his class hearing them, especially Bernard, the class thug who had a thing for picking on Max whenever he could.

Alec flushed. "Sorry, it just slipped out. It won't happen again." He straightened up and stepped back, checking over Max's stance with quick critical glances before he nodded with a smile. "Okay, good. Now just aim for the target and shoot when you're ready."

Max took a deep breath and let his arrow fly, watching anxiously as it zipped through the air and hit the target twenty metres away. Max could just see the arrow shaking to a stop just off centre on the target next to his brother's previous arrow. Max looked over at Rafe who loosed another arrow with ease and watched it hit the centre of the target again. Rafael was good at archery. In fact he was good at a lot of things, including making friends which often made Max a little envious of his big brother. But when he told his Papa all of this, he merely pointed out that there were things that Max could easily do that Rafael could not, like using magic to heal people and conjure things out of nowhere. But still, it didn't always make him feel better knowing that he would always have to work harder than everybody else just to get up to the same standard as them.

"Very good Max," beamed Alec as Max placed his bow on the stand. "You can go up and collect your arrows in a minute once everyone is done."

"No need Dad," Max shrugged and with a flick of his wrist, his arrows were safely back in the quiver standing next to his bow, as if they had never been touched. "Already done."

Alec shook his head with a small smile, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Alright, show-off. Go sit down." Max grinned widely and sat down next to Evie who raised a hand for a high-five before returning her attention to the archers still shooting.

"I swear I'm getting better at this." Max beamed to Evie. "Last time I couldn't even get close to the centre of the target."

"Yeah, that's good." Evie replied just as Rafe shot another arrow, hitting the target so close to the bulls-eye that it left a ringing sound as it collided with his other arrows. Evie gasped in awe. "How does he do that? That's almost impossible! He's brilliant!"

Max stared at Evie as if she had suddenly admitted that she was in fact a duck and she was planning on creating an army to take over the ponds in Central Park. "What?"

"You know if we were suddenly attacked by a demon, I bet you anything Rafe would just shoot it and save us all like that." She snapped her fingers, looking over at Rafael. Max glanced between Rafe and Evie in confusion.

"Yeah, I guess he could but he'd never let us hear the end of it. Not that a demon could get into the Institute anyway."

"Oh, you're just saying that." Evie scoffed, tucking a lock of her brown hair behind her left ear. "You're really lucky to have a brother like him you know."

Max blinked. "Are we still talking about the same Rafe here?"

Max watched in bemusement as Evie rolled her eyes and watched his brother. Max quickly glanced around at the other students in their class who were too busy to even notice him. He even looked over at his Dad to see if he was seeing what Max was seeing but he was too busy trying to stop one of the other students from accidentally stabbing himself in the eye with his own arrow. Max turned back to Evie with a frown. "What's going on Evie? Do you have a crush on Rafe or something?"

Evie suddenly glanced at him in shock. "What? No! Of course I don't have a crush on Rafe! Sure, he's cute and all but he's your brother, and you're my best friend. That's – it's too weird…"

Max gaped at her. "You think my brother is _cute_?"

Evie's cheeks were turning crimson as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat next to Max. "I, er…I've just remembered, my mother is coming home early today so I should probably go."

"Evie, we're in the middle of a lesson. You can't go now." Max protested but it was too late. Evie was up and out of the door before he could even stop her, leaving behind a trail of students watching her go in surprise and confusion.

"Is everything alright Max?" Alec asked suddenly by his side, frowning down at him in concern. "Where did Evie go? It was her turn next."

Max shrugged his shoulders staring after his friend.

Max spent most of the afternoon when he got home trying to contact Evie. He made over a dozen phone calls to her mobile, sent thousands of texts and even resorted to sending her a few fire messages as well but received no reply to any of them. Max had never gone so long without talking to Evie. She was his best friend. He could talk to her about anything and she would listen patiently to him until he finished. He knew about her family, about how her mother had fallen in love with a Shadowhunter when she was a mundane and had ascended shortly after the Mortal War. Evie was born during the Dark War but by then her father had been turned by Sebastian Morgenstern and was eventually killed. Apart from Rafe and his family, Evie was the only other person who ever looked at Max's appearance and didn't back away in disgust. They knew everything about each other. At least, Max thought he did. Max thought about how she reacted when he asked her if she had a crush on Rafe and shook his head in confusion. It just didn't make any sense.

"Dad, can I ask you something?" Max asked as he stirred some spicy sauce in the saucepan on the cooker. Max looked up at his Dad inquisitively, taking in the light five-o'clock shadow trying to make its way across his normally clean shaven face.

"Of course you can Blueberry. What's the matter?" Alec replied as he chopped some peppers carefully in front of him. Max nodded and took a deep breath. If he couldn't talk to his Dad about these things then who could he talk to?

"How do you know if a girl fancies you?"

Startled, Alec's knife scraped horribly against his chopping board and he let out a curse as blood wept out of a cut on his finger. Max cringed as he looked at Alec apologetically. "Oops, sorry Dad."

"No Max, it's not your fault. I'm fine, nothing a little iratze can't fix." He pulled out his stele from his pocket and quickly drew a healing rune on the back of his hand. Seconds later, Max watched as the skin on Alec's finger started to stitch itself back together, leaving barely a mark behind. Alec glanced at his son apprehensively. He had been hoping that Magnus or even Izzy would be around when he would have to give Max the dreaded _Talk_. "So er, Max. Aren't you a little young to be thinking about girls now?"

"I'm fourteen, Dad."

"I know…I'm just saying you should, you know, take your time. Don't rush things. Take some time to actually get to know them before you do any… _stuff_."

"What?" Max asked confused staring at his Dad, waving his hands about anxiously before he slowly caught on. Max cringed feeling his cheeks warming at the thought of what his Dad was saying. "Ew Dad no! I don't fancy anyone if that's what you think."

"Really? Oh thank the Angel." Alec resumed his chopping, letting out a breath of relief. "So, what is this actually about Blueberry?"

"Evie's been acting weird that's all."

Alec paused in his chopping; looking down at his son who was frowning at the saucepan he was stirring. "Weird how?"

"She keeps getting distracted all the time and gets super giggly whenever Rafe is around." Alec had a sudden sinking feeling of dread in his chest. Max looked up at Alec as a crease appeared on his brow. "She told me that she thinks he's cute. I don't see the appeal. I mean have you _seen_ Rafael in the morning? And he's so annoying."

"Well…I don't know. To be honest you'd probably get a better answer from your Papa or Uncle Jace."

"Oh, okay." Max turned back to stirring the pot and let out a sigh. "Girls are confusing."

"Oh yeah, I agree with you on that. Your Aunt Izzy was a nightmare growing up, especially when she started dating. Your grandparents didn't know about most of the boys she was seeing, but that's probably a good thing really."

"But why does Evie like _Rafe_ of all people? He's my brother, it's weird."

Just as Alec was coming up with an answer, he suddenly heard someone clear their throat behind them both before he made his way into the kitchenette, swirling a small bottle of potion that was emitting a luminescent silver light. Magnus smiled as he stepped behind Alec. "Hmm, something smells good." Magnus said, weaving his arms around Alec's waist and kissed his cheek.

"It's Moroccan Chicken. I thought I'd give it a try." Alec shrugged smiling back at Magnus. "I'm trying to keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn like last night's dinner." Alec gestured to the small chicken currently roasting in the oven.

Magnus shuddered, feeling the hairs on his arms raise in disgust. "That's good. No offence to your lovely sister but that soup last night was just _bleugh_. You could probably kill a demon with a bowl of that stuff."

"Yeah, we have thought about it but it doesn't work unfortunately."

"I liked it." Max said lightly looking up at his parents. Magnus gave his son a look of pity.

"Yes but your taste buds are all over the place at the moment, Blueberry. They'll be back to normal soon enough once you've had another growth spurt." Magnus leaned over and kissed the top of Max's head, in between his two curling horns. "Have you seen your brother?"

"He's in our room I think."

Magnus and Alec shared a knowing look before Magnus sighed, ruffling Max's hair affectionately. "The joys of having teenagers…Don't you get any older Max." He then promptly left, swirling the luminescent vial in his hand as he went.

Max watched his Papa leave with a frown. "Dad, why are you and Papa trying to get Rafe to socialise so much? Is he okay?"

Alec shook his head with a half smile. "Trust me Max. You don't need to worry about Rafe. He's just having some personal issues at the moment."

Max looked up at Alec worriedly. "Is it about Buenos Aires?"

Alec gave Max a grim look and Max nodded fully understanding what his Dad meant, knowing that it was a conversation for another time. Max sighed and shook his head in defeat. "So what should I do about Evie?"

Alec paused in quiet thought for a moment, a small crease appearing on his brow before he turned to Max with a serious expression. "It sounds like she's going through a confusing time at the moment. For now, just let her know that you're there for her when she wants to talk about it. She's going to need a friend."

"Okay Dad." Max nodded. He suddenly caught an odd smell and crinkled his nose, stepping back to peer at the oven door. "Dad, I think the chicken's on fire."

"By the Angel!" Alec exclaimed, frantically opening the oven door and unleashing a billow of black smoke. The sounds of coughing and a beeping smoke alarm filled the apartment as Magnus returned a moment later, closely followed by Rafael who stared at the blackened chicken in shock. Magnus shook his head and crossed his arms.

"Anyone fancy Ethiopian tonight?"

* * *

Max took his Dad's advice and sent Evie a message saying that if she wanted to talk then he was there whenever she was ready. He didn't get a reply, though Max suspected that he wouldn't anyway. He spent the next three days periodically checking his phone whilst he went about his business. He did his homework, trained at the Institute – mostly with Rafe or on his own since no one wanted to go near him – and helped his Papa with collecting ingredients for his potions.

By the eighth day, he was really starting to worry about his friend. He reasoned that she was just going through some "girl issues" as she'd like to call it and just didn't want to talk to anyone but even then he was pretty sure his Aunt Izzy said it only lasts for a few days at most. Max lay on his bed, tiredly flipping through the dog-eared pages of his Codex which he and his brother had read over a thousand times. He glanced at his phone, sitting still on his bedside table and let out a frustrated huff. How long did it take girls to work through things? If something was bothering Max, he would just get it sorted and then move on.

He suddenly wondered whether something had actually happened to Evie and she was in trouble. What if she had been attacked by a demon whilst on her way home one day? She was a Shadowhunter after all. Demons always seem a bit drawn to the angelic blood in their veins. But then if something had happened to Evie, wouldn't her Aunt and Uncle alert the Institute to her disappearance?

Max stared at his phone absentmindedly drumming his fingers in thought against the cover of his Codex. Just as he decided he would call her again, his bedroom door opened as Rafael poked his head in. Max stared up at his brother as he walked in and left the door ajar behind him. "Rafe, are you okay?"

"Si hermano," he nodded. Rafael ran his hand through his dampened dark hair, shaking water droplets from his hair as he sat down on Max's bed. Max was just about to shove him onto the floor with his feet when his brother took a deep breath and chewed his lip in thought.

Max sat up on his bed, his Codex forgotten and stared at his big brother. "What is it? Has something happened?"

Rafael shook his head, turning to face Max with a sigh. "Okay, I need to tell you something hermano. You might not like it but I have to tell you."

"Rafe, you're worrying me. Just spit it out." Max said, feeling a tight knot appear in his chest.

"Evie asked me out."

Max stared at his brother for a moment in shock before he let out a laugh. "I _knew_ she had a crush on you. When did she ask you out?"

"A few days ago," Rafe replied confusedly. "If you knew, why didn't you say anything?"

"Never mind that, what did you say?" Max waved his hand, fixing Rafe with a serious look.

Rafael shook his head in disbelief. "I told her I wasn't looking for a relationship with anyone. I've got enough issues to be dealing with as it is. Besides I thought she fancied you."

Max raised an eyebrow at him. "You can't honestly believe that."

"Well not _now_." Rafe rolled his eyes.

Max glanced at his phone in thought. "I hope you let her down gently."

Rafe shrugged his shoulders. "I thought I did but I haven't seen her for days."

Max stood, picking up his phone and keys as he looked around for his shoes. "I should go around and see if she's okay."

"Who's going around where?"

Magnus appeared in their doorway, carrying a box of books as Chairman Meow trotted along behind him. Magnus's hair was tinted with red and purple highlights and dusted with a healthy helping of silver glitter which left shimmering trails on his teal shirt and skinny jeans.

"I'm just going to pop around to Evie's to see if she's okay." Max said but then paused, thinking that he should probably wait to see if he was allowed out this late in the afternoon. He looked up at his Papa who was watching him quietly.

"Okay," Magnus said slowly, putting down his box of books on the floor. Max let out a small sigh of relief just as Magnus straightened up and crossed his arms, fixing Max with his best _no-nonsense-I'm-the_ - _parent_ look. "I want you back before seven o'clock and remember what I said when you go out on your own. No talking to strangers, no detours -"

"Stay away from funny smells, keep my glamour up and if any faeries offer me a deal, don't take it. I know Papa." Max interrupted, hastily tying his shoelaces with a flick of his hand and shrugging on his jacket.

"And you're taking the Chairman with you." Magnus added with a smile.

"Papa!"

"He knows the city better than you do Blueberry. Those are my terms. Take it or leave it." Max let out a sigh and nodded, fixing Chairman Meow with a resigned look as the little aged cat purred and flicked his tail. Magnus smiled widely as he crouched to pick up the box of books. "Rafael, can you give me a hand with a few things? I'm sorting through some stuff of an old friend's."

"Si Papa," Rafael replied, following after Magnus as they left the room. Max slipped on his woolly hat, taking care not to get his horns caught on the rim and opened the front door. Chairman Meow trotted behind with his tail happily in the air.

* * *

Max shortly arrived at a small detached house in Queens where he knew Evie and her family lived when they were not at the Institute. There was a small garden path leading towards the front door with rows of gardenia plants on either side of the flagstones. Chairman Meow perched heavily on the doorstep next to Max's feet, idly taking in the scenery with the occasional sniff of a drooping flower. Max knocked on the front door and waited quietly wondering whether Evie would be happy to see him. He crossed his fingers in the pocket of his jacket and hoped for the best.

The front door opened with a creak to reveal Evie standing in a set of pink flannel pyjamas and fluffy duck slippers. Her hair fell down behind her back in a scraggly mess and Max noticed her eyes were puffy and red. She blinked in surprise. "Oh hey Max, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see if you were alright." Max replied, shuffling uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "Rafe told me what happened."

"Oh." Evie swallowed before stepping aside. "Well, I guess you'd better come in then."

With a cheerful meow, Chairman Meow leapt to his paws and pranced across the threshold as if he had been living there his entire life. Max shook his head with a small smile as he caught Evie watching the feline with surprise. "Yeah, don't ask. Chairman Meow has lost all of his manners in his old age."

Evie led Max into her living room which was large but made cosy with mismatched furniture. There was a small television in the corner quietly flickering with a period drama. "My Aunt and Uncle are out on a patrol at the moment and my mother's out back." Evie explained as she flopped down on one of the sofas and wrapped a soft blue throw around her shoulders.

Max sat down next to her on the sofa and gazed around the room. He had never been inside Evie's home before though he knew where she lived and had walked her home once or twice when no one was around to escort her home. He stared around at the framed photos of happy faces and baby pictures. There was a tall oaken bookcase stood next to the doorway, its shelves straining hard to hold all of the books that were densely packed onto them. Max felt a strong urge to walk over and peruse the bookshelves, noticing that most of them had covers that looked like mundane fiction.

"Sorry I haven't answered your messages. I've had the flu." Evie said. Max turned to face her and found her curling her knees up to her chest.

"Evie, I know you don't really have the flu."

"No I don't but it doesn't sound as pathetic though." Evie shrugged half heartedly. Max shifted in his seat, crossing his legs and trying to think of something to say that would help make Evie feel better.

"You could've told me you know. I would have understood – well, not really but I would have tried to understand." Max said, vaguely aware that he was starting to ramble. "I may be younger than you but I do know a little bit about these things. I do read a lot."

Max noticed Evie's mouth twitch with a small smile. "I know but it was too embarrassing." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'll get over it…eventually."

Chairman Meow suddenly appeared in front of them both and yowled loudly, looking up at them expectantly. Evie reached down and let him sniff her fingers before stroking his head. She smiled quietly. "Why did you bring your cat with you?"

"Papa said I couldn't leave unless I took him with me." Max explained, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. He lowered his voice and gave Evie a conspiratorial look. "Between you and me, I think Chairman Meow is getting a little fat."

"You must have gotten so many odd looks." Evie chuckled, tickling Chairman Meow's chin and feeling him purr against her fingertips.

Max nodded with a laugh. "Yeah it was a nice change from the usual reason. I walked past a werewolf couple on my way here and they looked like they didn't know whether to back away because of my horns or chase after the Chairman." Evie giggled at the thought.

"I think we've got some treats in the kitchen, hold on a sec." She announced getting up from the sofa and walking out of the room. Chairman Meow perked up and meowed excitedly.

"Oh, now you've done it. You won't get rid of him now. He'll make this place one of his regular stops." Max called after her shaking his head as Chairman Meow leapt up onto the sofa and then climbed up the back of it, peering his head over the cushions as Evie came back in opening a plastic tub of tuna pieces.

"I don't mind. We used to have a cat back in Canada called Spooky." She fed the Chairman a chunk of tuna which he gobbled up in seconds. "We couldn't bring her with us though so we gave her to this lovely old mundane lady across the street."

Chairman Meow purred loudly and rubbed his head affectionately against Evie's wrist. Max reached over and picked up another chunk of tuna and continued to feed him. "Are you coming back to training tomorrow?" he asked quietly. "It's been quite boring without you there."

"Yes. My mother's been annoyed that I'm under her feet all the time." Evie rolled her eyes before fixing Max with a suspicious look. "You have been practising your blocks whilst I've been gone, right?"

Max looked at Evie guiltily. "No…"

Evie shook her head with a sigh. "I knew it. What are we going to do with him Chairman, eh?" She cooed at the cat and tickled his whiskers. Chairman Meow let out a loud meow in reply. Evie raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Really? It's a bit extreme but if you think it'll work..."

"Hey! Stop making plans with my cat." Max exclaimed. He looked at his watch and stood up. "I've got to get home now but I'll see you tomorrow."

Evie nodded and stood up, Chairman Meow following closely behind her as she led them both to the front door. Evie gave Max a warm hug as he stood on the doorstep. "Thanks for coming over. You're a good friend." She kissed his cheek and waved at Chairman Meow before shutting the door.

Max looked down at Chairman Meow who tipped his head to the side. "Don't you dare tell Rafe about this, Chairman. He'll never shut up about it." The little feline meowed in reply before slinking quickly down the garden path as if to say _try and stop me_. Max hurried after him in exasperation. "She's just a friend!"


	10. Adventures in Babysitting Part Two

_Hello everybody!_

 _So sorry this has taken so long to upload. I sent this chapter to my beta reader over a week ago but i haven't heard anything back from them since so I'm assuming they're still having troubles with their internet after Hurricane Matthew. So, when i eventually get a reply, if there are any changes I'll update this chapter with the changes._

 _There are no spoilers from the books and it continues on from **Adventures in Babysitting Part One** but it's not really essential to read it in order. I'm not sure whether this is my best, and i kind of finished it oddly in my opinion but let me know what you think. _

_Depending on how well my mood is, I might be able to upload a halloween special soon (might be after) mostly because of a small but insanely adorable headcannon I thought up whilst writing this chapter._

 _Please let me know what you think, I love hearing from you all. Also if you're old enough and like The Dark Artifices, please check out my story **Why Lie?** and let me know what you think of that. _

_Enjoy!_

* * *

 **The Lightwood Bane Chronicles**

 **Adventures in Babysitting Part Two**

After the last time Alec and Magnus left the boys with members of Alec's family, they had come home to find their home in chaos. So it was understandable that they were nervous about going out again for a night and leaving the boys to the mercy of their babysitters. This time, to avoid coming home to find their home in a mess and Chairman Meow suffering with PTSD in a corner, they decided to take the boys to the Institute for the night to be looked after by Jace and Clary.

Magnus watched on patiently as he waited in the kitchen for Alec to finish talking to Clary about Max and Rafael's bedtime routine. He had been waiting for the past hour. "Now, you will call us if anything goes wrong won't you? Seriously, anything at all and you ring us straight away, no matter what time it is." Alec said anxiously.

"I promise that if anything bad happens – not that anything could after last time from what I've heard from Simon – we will call you. Won't we Jace?" Clary replied just as Jace walked into the room, carrying a paper bag of takeaway food from Taki's Diner.

"Of course we will. Look Alec, we aren't going to be playing any weird games with them and I've just got the food so they'll be fed. Just go out and enjoy yourselves, we've got this."

"And we've put an extra bed in your old room so that Max and Rafe can sleep in the same room." Clary added with a smile as she took out some plates from the kitchen cupboard and put them on the table.

"Come on Alec, it looks like they have everything in hand." Magnus said, walking up behind Alec and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Alec let out an anxious breath.

"Okay. Where are the boys? I want to say goodbye to them quickly before we go." Alec glanced over Magnus's shoulder searching for their sons with wide eyes.

"They are having fun in Clary's art studio. Let's just leave them to it. We'll see them in the morning. Come on." Magnus pressed a kiss to Alec's cheek and nudged him out of the kitchen, waving goodbye to Jace and Clary as they went. As soon as they were outside the Institute, Magnus pulled Alec close to his side and wrapped an arm around his waist. Alec shivered as a blustery chill tickled the back of his neck, tightening his scarf around his neck as he laid his head on Magnus's shoulder.

"Come on my darling." Magnus announced as they started walking down the street. "Tonight we can be just two regular guys, going out on a date with no responsibilities. We can do that can't we?"

There was a moment of quiet before Alec reluctantly nodded, letting out a slow breath. "Okay, we can do this. The Institute is the safest place in New York."

"Exactly. Plus, Max and Rafe know exactly what to do in an emergency. They'll be fine." Magnus said, rubbing his hand up and down Alec's arm in a calming gesture. Alec nodded and slowly started to relax. Surely nothing bad could happen this time, thought Alec as the descended into the underground train station.

* * *

Alec was starting to think he and Magnus were jinxed somehow.

The evening had been going well. Magnus had received a tip off that there was a two-for-one deal on drinks at Pandemonium from Bat, who was happy to vouch for their entry into the club as he was the DJ for the night. Alec hated clubbing, preferring instead to have a quiet evening at home with Magnus and their sons but he didn't want to disappoint him since he had been looking forward to go dancing for weeks. So they sipped their drinks and Magnus was steadily getting drunker throughout the night. The time for them to make their way home came at 4am when Magnus made his way over to Alec and tried to give him a lap dance, causing Alec's cheeks to flush in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, Alec. I didn't mean to get this drunk." Magnus slurred as they entered their apartment. "Those drinks were a lot stronger than I expected. I've really got to stop drinking Tequila…it never ends well."

"It's fine Magnus. We managed to get home safe and I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." Alec replied closing the door behind him and locking it before shrugging off his coat. Magnus swayed slightly as he leaned on the kitchen counter and summoned a glass of water.

"Did you enjoy yourself Alexander?" Magnus asked with a small furrow of his brow. "You didn't really dance much."

"Clubs aren't really my thing. But I'm happy that you enjoyed yourself. I know how much you were looking forward to tonight." Alec shrugged, gliding over to Magnus and enveloping his arms around his waist. Alec pressed a chaste kiss to Magnus's mouth, crinkling his nose at the smell of booze on Magnus's breath. "Come on, let's get to bed. You need to sober up a lot before we go and pick up the boys tomorrow."

"I feel hungry. Do you feel hungry?"

Suddenly, Alec felt his phone buzz in his pocket so he slipped it out of his pocket and answered it in one sweep as he helped Magnus to their bedroom. "Hello?"

"Alec, its Clary."

Alec stopped dead in his tracks causing Magnus to stare up at him in confusion. "Clary, what's wrong? Are the boys okay?"

"Yes the boys are okay, but you'll need to come and pick them up. Jace, grab him quickly! No Rafael that's not for throwing!" Alec bit his lip anxiously as he heard Clary sigh on the other end of the phone. "Alec, just come quickly. We'll explain when you get here."

Clary hung up on the phone leaving Alec with a feeling of panic. "Something's happened to the boys. Clary didn't say what but it didn't sound good. You stay here and sober up and I'll go and get them." Alec commanded heading to the door and shrugging on his coat and picking up his bow and quiver.

"I'm coming with you. No, I'll be fine, just give me a minute." Magnus replied despite Alec's protests as he hurriedly rummaged through his kitchen cupboards before leaping over the counter and ran into his study.

"What are you looking for? We need to go!" Alec called just as Magnus reappeared with a grimace and holding a bottle of something that was green and looked like it had something crawling in it. "What the hell is that?"

"It's essentially a hangover cure. It takes a few minutes to take effect but it's a lot quicker than the mundane alternative." Magnus sighed before he popped the lid and drank the whole bottle with a shudder. When he had finished it, Magnus chucked the empty bottle over his shoulder and grimaced. "I am never drinking one of those again."

"I am never kissing your mouth again." Alec added feeling suddenly ill.

Magnus gasped at Alec offended. "Hey, you wanted me sober, you got me sober. Now stop complaining and let's go."

Alec rolled his eyes as Magnus opened the door and hurried down the stairs. "Alright just make sure you brush your teeth before you kiss me again okay?" Alec didn't need to see Magnus to know that he was rolling his eyes.

* * *

Alec and Magnus arrived shortly at the Institute expecting the worst possible situation to have happened. They weren't far off the truth.

"I swear on the Angel Alec, I did not buy them!" Jace exclaimed as soon as they entered the kitchen, his blonde hair in a tangled sweaty mess and sporting dark circles of stress under his eyes. Alec gasped in shock as his eyes fell upon Rafael and Max, splattered in paint and spaced out one of the benches. Two large beige antlers were growing out of Rafael's head but it didn't seem like they were hurting him. Clary was bustling around them both, trying her best to get them to drink some water but they took no notice of her. Magnus hurried over to them worriedly, snapping his fingers in front of their faces in a bid to grab their attention.

Alec narrowed his eyes and tried to remain calm. "Tell me they haven't eaten what I think they've eaten, Jace. Tell me that they didn't eat _faerie scones_."

Jace paled as Magnus looked between them in shock. "Faerie scones..?"

"It's a long story." Clary murmured to Magnus. He nodded as his fingers lit up with blue flames. He waved his hands in front of each of his sons faces and watched in relief when they started following his hands with awestruck expressions.

"I didn't buy them intentionally. You remember what happened last time. I've completely sworn off them." Jace explained as Alec started pacing worriedly. "One of the other customers must have slipped them in my bag when I wasn't looking."

Alec scoffed and stared at his parabatai in exasperation. "How is that possible? You're always on alert whenever you leave the Institute, even if you are just walking to the front gates."

"I was hungry! You know a guy can't focus on anything with an empty stomach." Jace replied affronted.

Clary suddenly huffed and stood up facing the two arguing friends and fixed them with an annoyed stare. "Okay, you two arguing isn't going to solve anything. Jace, why don't you go and clear up the mess the boys made in my studio? There's a mop and bucket in the cupboard on the second floor."

Jace sighed and nodded his head, turning to face Alec one last time. "I swear I didn't mean for this to happen. If I had known they were in my bag I would have thrown them out straight away."

Alec nodded and clapped his hands on Jace's shoulders. "Okay, I believe you. I just don't want them to get hurt."

"Neither do I, brother." Jace replied casting a glance at Rafael and Max. "Let me know when the effects wear off."

"I might have some news on that actually." Magnus said not taking his eyes off of Rafael and Max. As Magnus moved his hands around, Alec noticed with relief that Max and Rafael slowly started blinking their eyes. The antlers coming out of Rafael's head were starting to fade away in front of them. "They seem to be responding to my magic, so that's good. Although, best not to let them have any more scones though."

"Thank the Angel," Jace murmured as Clary and Alec nodded in unison. Alec headed over to Magnus and placed a hand on Max's knee, just as the young warlock shook his head as if out of a trance.

Max blinked and stared up at Alec and Magnus in confusion. "Papa…Daddy…"

"We're here Blueberry, don't worry." Magnus replied just as Rafael shook himself out of his trance, antlers gone without a trace. There was a light green tinge to his face as he held his stomach tightly. Magnus summoned a bucket and passed it to Rafael who sat nursing it gingerly.

Max watched his brother with a frown before he turned to Magnus. "Papa, I think I had a weird dream."

Magnus chuckled quietly, reaching up and stroking Max's head affectionately. "You probably did but you'll be back to normal soon."

"Oh," Max replied disappointedly.

Alec looked at his son in surprise, sitting next to his son on the bench. "Oh?"

Max sighed. "I dreamt that Rafael had antlers coming out of his head. He would be just like me then wouldn't he?" Max pointed sadly to the two white horns on his forehead that were just starting to curl up into his hair.

Alec shared a quiet look with Magnus and wrapped a comforting arm around Max's shoulders. "Oh Max…"

The young warlock leaned into Alec's side just as Rafael vomited into the bucket in his lap. Alec caught Clary and Jace watching them quietly, unable to think of anything comforting to say to Max to cheer him up. Max knew the differences between warlocks and shadowhunters and knew that they would never change. They were just too different.

When Rafael had finished vomiting an hour later Magnus summoned a portal to take them home. Max was sleeping soundly in Alec's arms whilst Rafael trudged groggily through the portal, heading straight to the bathroom. Magnus followed behind them collapsing the portal with a wave of his hand whilst Alec walked quietly to Max and Rafe's room to put his son to bed. As Alec brought Max's blankets over him, he placed a kiss to his forehead and quietly left the room, ruffling Rafael's hair as they passed each other in the doorway.

Magnus was stood at the kitchen counter making himself a coffee when Alec came in and hung up his bow and quiver by the front door. "I doubt I'm going to get enough sleep before my first client comes tomorrow so I might as well pull an all-nighter. Want one?"

Alec shook his head and quietly pulled Magnus into a hug, resting his head against his shoulder and letting out a slow breath. Magnus could feel a slight tremble in Alec's shoulders as he held him close, rubbing soothing circles into his back and patiently waited until the trembling stopped. "I want to cheer Max up but I don't know how." Alec mumbled helplessly into Magnus's shoulder.

"I know."

"Isn't that what a parent is supposed to do? Make their child feel better?" Alec pulled away sadly and leaned back against the kitchen counter.

"We can't fix everything Alexander, no matter how much we want to." Magnus replied taking a sip of his coffee and shivered as the hot drink slipped down his throat. Alec fell quiet and stared at his hands. "On another note, we need some new babysitters."

Alec nodded in agreement. "Who have we got left?"

"Well, there is Maia and Lily…"

"No chance." Alec shook his head immediately. "I don't think they like kids anyway."

"There's your parents." Magnus suggested only for Alec to give him a look and shake his head. "Yeah, I suppose not. The only option we have left then is Catarina."

Alec considered the idea and shrugged his shoulders. "She does work with kids at the hospital so she'll know what to do if something bad happens."

"And I've yet to call in my favours for this decade." Magnus added as he took another sip of his coffee. "It honestly can't get any worse."

"You hope so. I've been thinking we've been jinxed lately. We've had so much bad luck with babysitters."

Magnus paused with a thoughtful look on his face. "I'll double-check the loft for foreign hex bags just in case."

Alec raised an eyebrow at Magnus. "Are you serious?"

Magnus shrugged his shoulders. "Magic can sometimes do strange things to a warlock's mind, especially if they're amateurs. I'll call Catarina in the morning and ask her when she's free. You go to bed, you look shattered darling."

"I'll see you in the morning." Alec kissed Magnus goodnight and left him to finish his coffee. Magnus threw himself on the couch and picked up his book just as a few sunrays trickled in through the curtains.


	11. Buenos Aires

_Hello everybody, I'm back!  
_

 _I hope you all had a lovely holiday. I am so sorry it has taken me so long to update. I have only just managed to find a new beta reader in the last couple of weeks and then I was having internet troubles and here we are now. I promise I won't take as long to update next time._

 _Thank you so much for your reviews. They cheer me up to no end. Welcome to Karen Hikari. I know we've spoken before but I'd just like to say hi!_

 _This chapter is about what I think might have happened in Buenos Aires when Alec came across Rafael. I don't think there are any spoilers from any of the series but it is set a few months before the events of_ **Lady Midnight** _. I also wanted to write from the perspectives of Alec and Magnus, which is why Max is only mentioned in this chapter. I tried to keep them in character so hopefully I succeeded._

 _Please let me know what you think, I love hearing feedback. Thanks go out to my beta reader_ **Imlosinghope** _who helped edit this._

 _Enjoy!_

 ** _07/01/2017 - Hi again! I feel like such a pain in the butt. After getting some very helpful feedback from JelloDVDs I have decided to rewrite the ending of this chapter. I was originally going to put the first meeting of Rafe, Max and Magnus in a different chapter but from Max's point of view but it wasn't really working as well as I thought it would so instead I have decided to attach it onto here. I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my writing. But such is life. I hope you all like the new ending. The last couple of sentences I feel are a bit hit and miss but I'd love to know what you all think._**

 ** _Also to lightwood4life, I would be very flattered for you to do that. Thank you. Could you perhaps send me a link to your profile or let me know what your readers think of it when you translate it? Send me a PM if you can. :)_**

 ** _Enjoy!_**

* * *

 **The Lightwood Bane Chronicles**

 **Buenos Aires**

Sweat dripped from his brow as Alec swung his bow into the vampire's face, knocking out one of its fangs before he clubbed the back of the creature's head with the butt of his blade. The vampire fell onto the ground, dark red blood trickling from his mouth into the dirty puddle by his head.

Alec let out a breath and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, cringing at the feeling of his shirt sticking to his skin. He wondered why he ever agreed to go on this mission to Buenos Aires. It was too damn hot to be taking out vampires. Sure it was warm in New York during the summer but he had grown up there, he was used to the climate. Alec felt a heavy weight in his chest as he thought of Magnus and their son Max. He had only been gone for two weeks but he missed them both terribly.

"Lightwood! We need your assistance here!" A voice called out behind him, jumping Alec out of his thoughts as he surveyed the area one last time before turning towards the voice.

There were three shadowhunters huddled at the side of the alley. Two men and one woman, covered in stinking, congealing blood. One of the men (Miguel, Alec thought his name was) was propped up against a wooden crate as he clutched his side and moaned in agony, whilst the others struggled to keep him awake. Alec hurried over and knelt by them, immediately assessing their wounds with swift critical glances. "He needs to get back to the Institute immediately. Send a fire message to the infirmary to have holy water ready to treat his wounds just in case."

"Miguel, stay awake. Come on!" the woman said sternly, tapping Miguel's cheek before she turned to the other man. "Carlos, do you think you can get him back on your own?"

"Sí, I can manage." Carlos replied with a determined nod. Alec helped Carlos lift Miguel across his broad shoulders, ensuring that Miguel's wound still had the right amount of pressure to stop the bleeding. Alec couldn't do anything to seal up the wound just yet until he was sure there was no vampire venom in his system. Carlos turned to the woman with a look of concern before pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Lucia, be careful."

"Always am. Now get going!" she replied with a small smile before shooing him off. He set off at a jogging pace with long sure strides.

Alec shouldered his bow and quiver, now completely empty of arrows save one which had a broken point. He had used it to stab at a vampire who had nearly overpowered him in a tussle. He looked over at Lucia as she wiped the blood from her seraph blade on the side of her thigh. "Why didn't you go with them?"

Lucia laughed and gave him a look. "And leave you on your own? We always stay in pairs no matter what. There are a lot more dangers here than just demons and Downworlders, mi amigo."

"Fair enough," Alec shrugged. "Let's finish up here and get back to the Institute then. The quicker I can get this blood off me the better I'll feel."

"Ha, you'll have to get in line Lightwood," Lucia chuckled. "Hot water is going to be sparse enough after that attack this morning." She wiped her hand down the length of her arm and shook the blood from her fingers with a flick of her wrist, making Alec grimace as the blood splattered on the floor.

Suddenly there was a loud scream coming from down the street, quickly followed by a low rumbling growl of what Alec knew was a demon. Leaping into action, Alec sprinted towards the sound, his bow ready and knocked with his last remaining arrow whilst Lucia hurried after him.

Alec found the source of the scream in the form of a small dark haired boy, crouching and shaking in terror behind a dilapidated sofa that looked like it had been there for months. Slavering and growling with a menacing glee in its eyes was a ravenor demon the size of a grizzly bear. It snapped its mandibles hungrily as it tried to reach the little boy.

With the grace of a seasoned soldier, Alec pulled back the string of his bow and released his arrow, aiming straight for the demons face. Within seconds Alec's hopes of a quick and clean kill were dashed as the demon's long scorpion-like tail deflected the arrow as if it were merely a stick and sent it flying out of the way. Losing interest in the boy for a moment the demon spun around and focused its attention on Alec. It released a shrill shriek of outrage and leapt off the sofa, scuttling towards Alec with vigour. Before Alec could grab one of his seraph blades and name it, the demon collided with Alec, knocking him on his back as the beastly creature lunged for his head. Alec strained to keep the demon away from him, jamming the arm of his bow into its jaw as he prayed for help to come quickly.

Suddenly the demon let out a screech as its tail was sliced clean off, landing next to Alec and flopping about like a fish out of water before it fell still in a puddle of its own poisoned blood. Alec only saw a flash of long dark hair before the tip of a glowing seraph blade speared through the demon's face and the demon fell still.

Alec rolled the creature off him and tiredly sat up, just as Lucia pulled her seraph blade out of the demon's head with a wet slurping sound. "Are you okay, amigo?" she asked offering him a hand.

"Yeah, thanks for that. I almost had it," Alec replied taking Lucia's hand and standing up, shouldering his bow.

"That's why we always work in pairs. We've got each others backs then."

Alec nodded before looking over at the sofa to find the little boy still crouched there, staring at Alec in fear. Alec felt a small weight in his chest as he cautiously made his way over to the little boy. "It's okay, you're safe now."

The boy screamed and threw a rock at Alec, shuffling as far back as he could go, tears cascading down his cheeks. Alec stopped and held his hands up before slowly crouching down and placing his bow on the floor next to him. He never took his eyes off the boy who had now started to hyperventilate.

"Let me try," Lucia suggested slowly inching forward as she spoke calmly in Spanish. She only managed to get a bit closer than Alec before the little boy yelled and threw a clay brick at her feet. She exclaimed loudly in Spanish, which Alec could only guess was something not worth repeating. The boy darted to his feet on shaky legs, attempting to make a quick escape, only for his legs to give out underneath him. Alec lunged forward and swiftly caught the boy before his head hit the floor.

Alec frowned down at the young boy, almost skin and bone and unconscious in his arms, and suddenly felt the weight in his chest feel heavier with concern. "I think we should take him back to the Institute," Alec decided.

A crease had appeared on Lucia's brow as she crouched beside Alec in concern. "I don't know Lightwood. We're already running low on supplies as it is."

"He's a little kid who's just survived an attack from a ravenor demon. He needs our help," Alec answered hotly, feeling his grip on the boy tighten protectively. "I'll look after him myself if you're worried about resources being stretched."

Lucia fixed him with a quiet stare before shaking her head and letting out a sigh. "Fine, we'll take him to the infirmary and see if we can find any family of his. He might be a missing kid in the mundane papers."

Alec nodded and gathered the boy in his arms, careful to cradle his head which was lolling against Alec's shoulder. The boy barely weighed anything at all. Alec began to wonder what had happened to this boy for him to end up like this. He looked to be only a couple of years older than Max, which was a worrying thought for Alec.

"Don't worry; I'm going to take good care of you," Alec murmured quietly to the unconscious boy. Alec watched as the boy's eyelids fluttered tiredly, his head resting more comfortably in the crook of his neck.

* * *

Alec squeezed the damp cloth in his hand and dabbed it against the boy's forehead in a bid to help bring his temperature down. He had attempted to clean some of the sweat and grime from the boy's skin, turning the water he had almost black.

The boy's skin tone was tough to determine because he looked so ill, but Alec guessed that it had once been lightly tanned. Alec frowned at the dark circles under the boy's eyes and his prominent cheekbones, indicating his severe weight loss. It reminded Alec of the homeless people he often came across on patrols back in New York; shivering and hungry as they took shelter under the Brooklyn Bridge or huddled up in sleeping bags along the East River. They all had the same haunted look in their eyes which left Alec feeling slightly unnerved.

Alec heard a quiet whimper escape the boy's lips and he watched worriedly as the boy slept on. Not for the first time today, Alec wondered about what had happened to the boy. He appeared to be mundane but considering he had seen the ravenor demon attacking him, perhaps he had the sight.

It wasn't uncommon to find some mundanes with the sight. They were often good candidates for ascension since most of them had already been shunned by their families, or had run away in some vain attempt to keep their loved ones safe. Nine times out of ten, it didn't always end well.

Alec heard the infirmary door open behind him and he turned around to see Lucia walk in, rubbing a towel over her hair. She was dressed in light training gear with an additional dark green cardigan. "The showers are free now if you want to wash up, Lightwood. I'd advise it. You look like death."

"Thanks," Alec replied dryly, ringing out the cloth in his hands before placing the bowl on the bedside table next to him. "But I want to make sure he's okay first. Have you found any information about him yet?"

Lucia shook her head and bundled her towel into a ball before throwing it into a wash basket by the door. "We're still searching but considering all of the attacks lately it's been difficult to keep up with the reports to the Clave, let alone look for a missing kid's parents."

Alec sighed, knowing exactly how frustrating the Clave can be when it comes to their priorities. "How is Miguel?"

"He's on the mend. There was no blood poisoning or major injuries luckily." Alec nodded in relief. He didn't really know the man very well but he had seemed friendly enough to him when Alec had arrived two weeks ago.

The sound of quiet crying alerted Alec to the young boy once more. The boy's head thrashed from side to side on the pillow, sweat forming on his brow and muttering in Spanish. "You're safe. Don't worry, you're okay," Alec whispered calmly to the boy, patting down his jacket and frowning. He looked up at Lucia. "Can I borrow your witchlight? I seem to have misplaced mine."

"Sure Lightwood, but what do you need it for?" Lucia's hand dipped into the pocket of her cardigan and lifted out her own witchlight before tossing it to Alec. He caught it with ease and the stone lit up with a bright white light. It was an object that every shadowhunter is encouraged to carry with them along with their stele.

"My son, Max, would wake up sometimes during the night with nightmares when he was a toddler," Alec explained as he shifted up to the head of the bed where the boy slept fitfully and held the witchlight by his pillow. "On those nights, I would go comfort him and let him just stare at the light until he calmed down. I'd then tell him a story until he went back to sleep."

Alec never let his attention stray away from the boy's face, watching for any telltale sign that it was helping him. He supposed he must have looked a bit strange, taking so much care of a young boy who was of no relation to him. But there was something about him though, something that seemed to cry out to the deepest part of Alec's soul.

He knew this feeling. He had felt it only once before years ago when he was twelve years old and his father had brought home Jace to live with them. He remembered at the time looking at Jace and knowing that he needed to care for him, that Jace needed to be loved and that he was all alone in the world.

But of course, this boy could still have a family out there looking for him and worrying themselves sick.

"By the Angel, he's calming down," Lucia said in a hushed tone. Alec blinked and shook himself out of his thoughts, finding Lucia standing at the end of the bed with a look of surprise. The boy had a sweet peaceful look on his face as he curled up into a ball, facing the witchlight in Alec's hand.

Alec felt a small smile creep onto his mouth, patting the boy's head gently before standing up. "I think I'd best go take that shower before someone else does. Could you keep an eye on him?"

Lucia shrugged and stepped forward. "Sure. I haven't got anything better to do anyway."

"Let me know when he wakes up. It might help keep him calm if he sees familiar faces," Alec said running his hand tiredly through his hair and picked up the bowl and wash cloth on the side table. Lucia nodded and took his place on the bed, holding her witchlight in her hand.

Alec headed towards the door feeling almost reluctant to leave. He pulled open the door and looked back for a moment; his brow creased in a thoughtful frown before he left the room and shut the door quietly behind him.

* * *

"Alexander darling, how is everything going over there? Are you keeping yourself safe?" Magnus said loudly from the phone by the sink, as Alec rubbed his soaking hair with a damp towel.

"I'm fine Mags. I miss you both so much though. How's Max?" Alec asked earnestly, feeling his heart swell in his chest with loneliness.

"Max has been pestering me non stop about when you're coming home. I keep telling him that you'll be back soon but he's impatient." Alec heard Magnus reply with a wry chuckle.

Alec smirked. "Hmm, I wonder where he gets that from."

"Alright, point taken."

Alec grinned quietly even though he knew no one could see him. Chucking his used towel in the hamper by the door, he picked up his clean clothes and put them on before he picked up his phone and held it to his ear. Magnus had started speaking again.

"What time is it over there? I wasn't expecting a phone call from you for another few hours yet. Has something happened?"

"I guess. We found an orphan boy being attacked by a ravenor demon this afternoon after we dealt with a vampire attack. You should have seen him Magnus, he was so terrified."

"You mean he could see the demon? The poor boy." Magnus replied with concern. Alec sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed wondering if it was possible to get a couple of hours sleep before he was needed again.

"He can't be that much older than Max. He's almost skin and bone he's so thin. We're trying to find if he has any family looking for him but we're struggling at the moment." Alec suddenly heard Magnus hum quietly on the other end of the line. He frowned. "What? What is it?"

"Alec, are you sure you're okay? You sound very…concerned for the boy."

"Well of course I'm concerned, why wouldn't I be? Imagine if it was Max instead, wouldn't you be worried?"

"Of course I would be, but Max is our son." Alec felt his brow crease in confusion. "Look Alexander all I'm saying is, try not to get too attached to him okay? He's not our responsibility to look after."

"I'm not getting attached to him Magnus. I'm just worried that's all."

"I know, love. You have a big heart Alec and I love you for it."

Suddenly the door to Alec's room flew open with a bang. Alec looked up in alarm to find Lucia bursting into his room with a frazzled look on her face. "Hey, what's going on? Is the boy awake?"

"You'd better come with me Lightwood," Lucia gasped beckoning her hand urgently. "The boy…he touched the witchlight."

"So?"

Lucia stared at him for a moment before she took a deep shaky breath. "The witchlight did not dim its light. He's a shadowhunter."

Alec gaped at her in shock trying to comprehend what she was saying. A moment later he held his phone to his ear once again. "I'll call you back Magnus. I love you."

* * *

Alec could hear the young boy screaming hysterically long before he entered the infirmary. The young boy was cowering in fear on his bed, clutching a bright witchlight in his trembling hands. Tears were streaming from his eyes.

"There are too many people in here. He's scared of them." Alec said to Lucia who nodded and immediately barked orders in Spanish to evacuate. Slowly the room emptied until only Alec was left alone with the boy.

"It's okay. You're safe now. Everyone else is gone," Alec spoke calmly, cautiously making his way over to the boy. He gestured to the end of the bed and watched the boy closely. "I'm not going to harm you. I'm just going to sit here. Is that okay?"

The boy looked up and stared at Alec with wide eyes, tightening his grip on the witchlight until his knuckles were white. Alec slowly sat down on the end of the bed, far enough away for the boy to feel comfortable but not too far away in case he decided to make a run for it.

Alec tried to think of something to say. He wished he had paid better attention in languages now. He did know some spanish but he didn't know enough to have a full conversation with someone. He only knew a few basic phrases. "Me llamo Alec. What's your name?" The boy stared at him blankly. It was as if he didn't understand what Alec was saying. Or even what he was asking him. Alec had a thought. "Do you even have a name? How long have you been on your own?"

The boy frowned in confusion then turned his attention to the witchlight as if he had lost interest in Alec altogether. He stared at the light as if he was hypnotised but, Alec noticed with surprise, he was suddenly calm. It was as if the light was making him feel safe.

Alec suddenly had a crazy idea. If the light was making the boy feel safe, perhaps there was a way to help him understand that Alec was safe too. He suddenly got off the bed, startling the boy who stared at him suspiciously, and hurried over to one of the supply cupboards, rummaging through its contents until he found what he was looking for.

"Now, don't be scared." Alec said, closing the cupboard and returned to his spot on the bed. The boy looked at him curiously, his dark brown eyes furrowed in interest at the object in Alec's fist. "I know things must be very confusing for you. But I'm here to help. I'm just like you."

Alec placed the witchlight in his hand on the bed between them, placing his hand next to it and watching as the stone dimmed to a dull grey colour. Alec then lifted his hand and gently touched the witchlight with the tip of his middle finger. The stone brightened with a soft white light, earning a small gasp from the boy. Alec watched with a small smile as the boy glanced between the stone in his hand and the one on the bed. "Yes, that's right. That one lights up too. We're the same."

The boy placed his witchlight next to Alec's on the bed and let go, watching it dim. He tipped his head to the side curiously before he looked up at Alec expectantly. Alec touched the boy's witchlight, lighting it up just as brightly as it did before. "See? These stones don't light up for just anyone."

Alec smiled as he picked up the boy's witchlight and held it out to him. Alec held his breath in anticipation. The boy looked at the stone and then up at Alec before he shuffled forward and took the stone from Alec's palm with a small smile. Alec let out a sigh of relief.

It was a start but Alec was hopeful. Alec was very hopeful.

* * *

Alec spent the remainder of his days at the Buenos Aires institute with the young boy, slowly coaxing him to trust him. He had even managed to get him to speak a little with a bit of help from the others. Miguel had happily offered to help translate for Alec. When Alec enquired as to why, it turned out that Miguel was a father to three teenage girls back in Idris before they sadly died during the Dark War.

"I know a father when I see one," Miguel said with a half hearted shrug, clapping a hand on Alec's shoulder. "You have the same exhausted look as I did when I was your age."

When it was time for Alec to head back to New York, he was reluctant to leave the boy. The search for his parents was still under investigation so the boy had to remain in Buenos Aires for the time being. Despite all of Magnus's warnings, Alec had grown to care deeply for the boy.

"I knew it," Magnus sighed dejectedly as he closed his book and placed it on the bedside table next to him. Alec looked over at his lover as he closed the doors to the wardrobe.

"You knew what?"

Magnus pursed his lips and gave Alec a look. "I knew having a small family wasn't going to last. You're getting broody aren't you?"

Alec felt a laugh escape his mouth. "What are you talking about? I thought "broody" was a term you used when referring to pregnant women. Is it even possible for a man to get broody?"

"Of course it is," Magnus scoffed and rolled his eyes. Alec crawled into the bed next to Magnus, curling up against Magnus's side and resting his head in the dip of his shoulder. Magnus's arm curled around Alec's waist in a warm embrace. "Look, I get it. You've grown up looking after your siblings and I know you sometimes get concerned about Max having no one his own age to play with – don't try to deny it love, I know you – but we can't just go around taking in every child you grow attached to. This isn't a home for homeless waifs and strays no matter how much it feels like it sometimes."

Alec weaved his fingers between Magnus's own as he felt a small aching weight start to fill his chest. "Besides," Magnus continued squeezing his hand gently, causing Alec to look up at him. "He might still have a family out there looking for him."

"But what if he doesn't? You didn't see him Magnus. He looked like he'd been alone for years. If he had a family, why didn't they look after him properly?" Alec watched Magnus open his mouth to say something but then closed it a moment later with a shake of his head.

A soft silence fell between them as they were captured by their own thoughts. Alec idly stroked one of his fingers up and down Magnus's arm before he looked up at Magnus. "I love you Magnus and I know that deep down inside that tough warlock outer shell, you have a lot of love to give."

Magnus gave Alec a shrewd look before he shifted on top of Alec and kissed him. Alec smiled and kissed him back, happy to be back where he belonged. Magnus broke away and started to kiss down his jaw. "You've been gone for two weeks Alexander…that's quite a lot of time to make up for, don't you think?" He quirked one of his eyebrows and Alec grinned.

"I suppose so," Alec pressed his lips against Magnus's mouth as his hands reacquainted themselves with Magnus's skin.

* * *

"I still think we should have gone through Peru." Magnus sighed as the portal closed up behind them. Max was stood next to Magnus holding his hand wearing a pirate's hat with a wooden sword strapped to his waist. He looked up at the huge building in front of them curiously.

"You're banned from Peru remember? I don't think it's wise on upsetting the Peruvian council of warlocks just because they told you "No"." Alec chuckled as he knocked on the front door and waited for a reply.

"Max isn't banned though." Magnus replied with a quirk of his eyebrow. He crouched down and looked at Max mischievously. "What do you say Max? Shall we go to Peru and give them a real reason to ban me from the country?" Max grinned excitedly as he unsheathed his wooden sword and nodded.

"Don't listen to your Papa on that Blueberry." Alec said resting his hand on the young warlock's shoulder. "He's just jealous that we can go and he can't." Alec raised his eyebrows at Magnus with a smirk.

"It's completely unfair." Magnus grumbled quietly. "They haven't even told me the reason why I'm banned. That's all I want to know."

"I'll find out for you Papa." Max smiled cheerily. Alec shook his head and Magnus grinned.

"See? Good boy Max." Magnus ruffled Max's dark blue hair affectionately.

Suddenly the front door began to open to reveal Miguel standing in the entryway with a tired smile. He was handsome in a rugged sort of way with dark brown eyes. Alec noticed three long thin scars running along Miguel's jaw and neck. "Ah, Lightwood!"

"What happened to you?" Alec frowned gesturing to the scars. Miguel waved his hand and shrugged.

"It's just a few scratches from a lone werewolf. You know how it is. No bite, thank the Angel." Miguel grinned.

"That was lucky." Alec commented as he picked up his suitcase and Max's backpack.

"Lucky seems to be my middle name these days." Miguel turned his attention to Magnus and Max and smiled in surprise. "I see you've brought your family this time. Great, come on in."

Alec followed Miguel into the Institute foyer. Although Institutes were generally the same no matter where you go, they each had a slightly different design depending on who built them. The Buenos Aires Institute was huge, built almost like a cathedral instead of a church and gave off a feeling that you had just walked into a historic place and should tread carefully.

"How's the boy been?" Alec asked curiously. Magnus could hear a small hint of anxiety as he spoke and watched Alec carefully.

"Good, good. He's definitely coming along. He's finally putting some meat on his bones too. He's been asking after you a lot." Miguel said over his shoulder as he closed the doors behind them and proceeded to lock them shut. Miguel turned to Magnus and rested his hands on his hips. "Your boyfriend here has left quite an impression on the boy."

"The feeling's mutual. Alec's not shut up about him since he came back." Magnus replied. "We needed a holiday anyway. Max has never been to Buenos Aires before." Magnus gestured to the young warlock who was peering at Miguel curiously from behind Magnus's legs. Miguel gave him a little wave.

The sound of an opening door turned their attention to the far side of the foyer where Lucia had suddenly appeared holding the little boy's hand in her own. Lucia's hair was a bushy mess as she hastily brought the boy over to them.

"Here, take the boy before he accidentally kills himself. He may be a Shadowhunter but he definitely needs a lot of training." Lucia let go of the boy's hand and tried to smooth out her hair. The young boy wrapped his arms around Alec's waist in a tight hug and Alec ruffled his hair. "I think he'd best stick to long range combat for now. I'm getting something to eat, I'm starving."

"You're always starving for Carlos' cooking." Miguel snickered with smirk.

Lucia gave him a look. "Hey shut up, the man can cook. You guys should try his paella whilst you're here. It's heavenly."

"I'm sure it is Lucia." Miguel laughed suggestively. Lucia replied with a curse in spanish which Alec preferred not to translate. Miguel laughed even more. "Calm down, there are children present."

"You're such an _idiota_ , Miguel." Lucia chuckled as she turned and walked away.

"I try." Miguel shrugged before reaching down and picking up their bags. "I'll take your bags up to the room you're staying in whilst you guys get reacquainted."

"Thanks."

When Miguel finally left, Alec knelt down to the boy with a smile. "Hello you, I've brought some people for you to meet." Alec gestured to Magnus and Max who stared at the boy curiously. "This is Magnus and this is our son Max. They're warlocks, which is why they look a little unusual but they're friendly so you don't need to worry."

The young boy tightened his grip on Alec's arm nervously, watching Max warily with wide eyes. Max tipped his head to the side curiously. "Do you like pirates?" Max asked the boy suddenly. The boy stared at Max blankly. "Do you like cats? We have a cat at home. I don't think you'll be able to come live with us if you don't like Chairman Meow."

"Max!" Magnus chastised as the young warlock looked up in confusion.

"Well that's why we're here, isn't it? He's going to be my brother."

Alec shared a look with Magnus before he turned to Max. "Well, we're still looking for his family so how's about just a friend for now, yeah?"

"Oh, okay." Max said with a shrug before he reached out and took the boy's hand. "Come on, let's go explore!" Max proceeded to drag the boy away with him. The boy looked over his shoulder at Alec nervously, as Alec smiled encouragingly after them.

When they were almost out of sight, Alec stood up and turned to Magnus who was watching the boys closely. "So what do you think?" Alec asked.

"He seems like a sweet kid. I just don't want you to get your hopes up in case he still has a family out there." Magnus said quietly.

"I know, Mags." Alec heard the sound of Max giggling as he and the boy ran up a set of stairs next to an elevator. "But look at them Magnus. Have you ever seen Max so happy?"

Magnus felt a small smile form on his mouth. "He does look like he's having fun."

Suddenly a loud crash came from the top of the stairs and Alec and Magnus looked up in surprise to find Max and the boy staring wide eyed at the crumbled vase on the floor between them. Alec cringed. He knew that vase was an antique and it depicted the Angel Raziel giving the Mortal Instruments to Jonathan Shadowhunter.

"What's going on? What was that smash?" Lucia called suspiciously from the kitchens, quickly followed by the sounds of footsteps.

Magnus flick his wrist and with a flash of blue flames, the vase righted itself and sat back on its pedestal good as new. "Nothing, don't worry about it!"

Magnus and Alec gave Max a look to which he sheepishly shuffled his feet. The young boy looked in shock between Magnus and the vase before he let out a snort of laughter. Max turned to the boy with a grin before they resumed their game and ran off.

Alec looked at Magnus and spotted a warm smile on his face. He took Magnus's hand and weaved his fingers between his own.

* * *

Alec watched Max and the boy with a smile as they laughed together at the dining table in the kitchen. They had only been there for three days and Max and the boy were getting along like a house on fire, even with all the small accidents due to their mischief. Alec took a sip of his coffee as he leaned against the sink just as Carlos, a huge hulk of a man with dark skin and a missing index finger on his right hand, switched off the stove and picked up a ladle and an empty saucepan as he made his way to the kitchen doorway.

"Dinner's ready!" Carlos bellowed as he clanged the side of the saucepan with a ladle. "Hurry up! The kids are hungry!"

"Need a hand with anything?" Alec inquired as he pushed himself away from the sink.

"No need, you're a guest. Have a seat." Carlos replied as put down the saucepan and picked up the cooking pot on the stove. He ladled some stew into Max's bowl and then into the boy's, who didn't even wait for everyone else and started wolfing down their meals.

"Slow down Max, you've got plenty of time." Alec chuckled just as Magnus, Miguel and Lucia walked in and took their seats.

"But I'm hungry!"

"Same here kid, same here." Lucia agreed as she dipped her slice of bread into the stew and took a bite. She let out a moan and smiled at Carlos. "By the Angel Carlos, if you keep cooking like this, I'm going to marry you one day." Carlos beamed with pride as he took a seat next to her.

"Oh, just get on with it." muttered Miguel with a roll of his eyes. The table suddenly shook with a loud thump and Miguel shot a glare at Lucia. "Ow!"

Magnus sat down in between Alec and Max, pressing a kiss to Alec's cheek before he handed Max a slice of bread. Magnus leaned in close to Alec and spoke in a hushed voice. "We found the boy's family."

Alec froze with his spoon almost at his mouth and stared at Magnus. He felt a cold dead weight in his chest as he swallowed the bile in his throat before speaking. "You did? Where are they?"

Magnus discreetly glanced over at the boy who was watching Max make a small canoe out of his slice of bread. Magnus gestured for Alec to lean in closer before he whispered in his ear. "They're dead. Their remains are in the City of Bones. The Silent Brothers have confirmed it."

Alec felt his gaze rest on the boy and felt a deep wave of sorrow for him. "How did they die?"

"Sebastian."

Alec closed his eyes and shook his head. Of course it was _him_. Alec should have guessed. First he taken his little brother Max and now he had taken this boy's only family amongst countless others. Alec clenched his fist under the table at the injustice of it all.

Suddenly there was a flash of light as a fire message appeared in the air. Carlos caught it immediately and read its contents with a frown. A minute later he scrunched up the note in his fist. "Damn. The Clave know about the boy. They're sending a social worker to take him to the Academy at dawn. The Silent Brothers must have told them when we spoke to them earlier."

"What, that's it? Doesn't he get a say in it?" Lucia gestured to the boy at the end of the table who looked up from his bowl in confusion.

"Of course he doesn't. The Clave is doing what they think is best for him." Miguel muttered.

"But he doesn't know anyone except us. He wouldn't last two days at the Academy." Lucia protested, her appetite gone as she pushed her bowl away. "I mean look how long it took just to get him to talk! All of that progress would be wiped clean like that!" She snapped her fingers to emphasise her point.

"I don't want to go."

Everyone stopped and stared silently at the boy who was suddenly holding onto Max's hand in fear. It was the first time they had ever heard the boy speak without any prompting. Alec and Magnus stared at the boy's hand in Max's, as their son looked up at them pleadingly. "Papa, Dad, couldn't we take him in?"

"That could work," Miguel nodded. "He knows you guys and you've already got a kid of your own. What's taking in one more?" Carlos and Lucia nodded in agreement.

Alec turned to Magnus and held his hand tightly in his own. Magnus looked at Alec quietly. "They're right Magnus. It's our duty, he needs us. We can give him the family he needs."

Magnus stared at Alec before slowing looking around at everyone's faces before finally landing on the boy's. The boy was staring at Magnus pleadingly with wide brown eyes under a mop of curly brown hair and Magnus felt his heart melt a little.

"Okay," Magnus nodded with a slow breath, speaking quickly before he could change his mind. "Okay, we'll take him in and adopt him, just like Max. Would you like that?" He added to the little boy who nodded eagerly.

"Does this mean he's my brother now?" Max beamed excitedly next to the boy who was grinning from ear to ear. "Can I be the big brother?"

Alec and Magnus started laughing as the others called for a celebration. Miguel disappeared out of the room and brought back a bottle of wine, clapping Magnus on the back as he passed him. Carlos refilled the bowls with extra stew whilst Lucia ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. "We'll deal with the social worker when they get here tomorrow. But there's no way we're going to let them take him now."

Alec smiled, leaning over and pressing a kiss to Magnus's cheek. "You won't regret it, I promise Magnus."

"What are we going to call him? He doesn't even have a name." Max said curiously tucking back into his stew whilst the boy looked at Magnus and Alec expectantly.

"We'll name him Rafael," Magnus said with a fond smile, catching a look that Alec gave him. "I think its only right I get to name one of our sons as well."

Alec nodded with a grin and pulled Magnus into a tight hug.


	12. The Ghost

_Hi everybody!  
_

 _Since its my birthday today (23 years old! Eek!) and because I have been impatient and excitable all week, I have decided to give myself a present, by giving you a present of updating not only this story, but also uploading a seperate oneshot based on the Day of Wrath episode on Shadowhunters (featuring Catarina Loss and Magnus Bane). If you want to check that out please look on my profile to find the link. It's called **A Friend in Need of a Rock**. _

_As I've said before, I have been a little impatient and wanted you to read this, so it is currently in an unedited state. My beta reader is currently looking over both stories at the moment so when she gets back to me, if there are any changes that need to be addressed, I will replace the chapters with the edited versions._

 ** _SPOILERS:_** _This story is set when Max is turning sixteen and is a sequel to **Girl Issues**. There are also spoilers for **City of Glass** and **City of Heavenly Fire** (though you and I both know you wouldn't be here if you haven't already read the books). ;)_

 ** _ADDITIONA_** ** _L NOTES:_** _I decided to give Evie a surname to help build more of her backstory. The coat of arms is completely made up as I have no idea what the Thrushcross symbol would be. The name I borrowed from the Shadowhunters wiki page. There will be one final chapter featuring Evie coming soon, so stay tuned._

 _Please let me know what you think. I love hearing from you all. Also, don't be shy if you have any criticisms for me. I thrive on constructive feedback._

 _Now without further ado, enjoy!_

 ** _27/01/2017 - Here is the new edited version. Not much has changed, just a few bits of grammar and punctuation. Thanks go out to my beta reader Imlosinghope for looking over this for me._**

* * *

 **The Lightwood Bane Chronicles**

 **The Ghost**

Max lay awake in his bed staring up at the ceiling quietly as the early sunrays of dawn stretched from his window. He could hear his brother, Rafael, snoring nasally from his side of their room, fast asleep as he had been all night.

Max looked over at his alarm clock on his bedside table. 4.03AM.

Rubbing his eyes in frustration, Max rolled silently out of bed, tiptoed into the living room and flopped onto the sofa. He was exhausted despite that fact that he had felt too wired and restless to get any sleep. Every time he felt that he could just about fall asleep, suddenly he was wide awake again. He tried everything; changing positions, reading a book, throwing his covers off the bed, getting out of bed and pacing the room, but nothing worked. It was so frustrating.

"Blueberry," whispered a voice from behind him. Max jumped in shock and glanced over his shoulder at the shadowy figure behind him. The figure stepped forward into the dim light of the living room and Max sighed in relief. Alec looked down at his son curiously as a bemused smile greeted him in the dark. "Blueberry, what are you doing up this early? That's not like you."

"I couldn't sleep." Max replied with a half shrug. "Did I wake you?"

"No, I only got back five minutes ago," Alec gestured to the gear he was wearing, which at a closer inspection, Max could see was covered in demon ichor. He grimaced as he watched Alec place his bow and quiver by the front door and shrugging out of his torn jacket. Max sat awkwardly on the sofa as he watched his dad unlace his boots and put them on a plastic sheet next to his bow, ready to be cleaned in the morning when he finally woke.

"Are you okay? You didn't get any injuries did you?" Max asked anxiously. Alec frowned at Max and waved his hand.

"I'm fine Max and I've told you before, I don't want you worrying about me. That's my job." Alec pressed a kiss to Max's forehead as he sat down next to him.

"I can't help it. You're my Dad; of course I'm going to worry about you." Max pouted as he leaned into Alec's side for a hug.

"I know." Alec sighed, squeezing Max's shoulder in comfort. "But Max, I can look after myself perfectly well on patrols. And on the rare occasion that something _does_ happen, then Uncle Jace and the others will look after me."

Max reluctantly nodded but tightened his grip on his Dad's waist. "I just don't want to wake up one morning to find out you didn't come home the night before."

"You won't, I promise. I intend to live a very long life and die of old age, surrounded by my family and the many grandchildren and great-grandchildren that you boys are going to give me." Alec smiled fondly at the thought.

"Dad, you know Warlocks can't have children."

"It doesn't mean you can't adopt like we did with you." Max rolled his eyes with a smile. They sat in silence before Alec turned to Max with a serious look. "Now, tell me why you can't get to sleep. Is there something bothering you?"

Max shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think so. I just can't get to sleep."

Alec pursed his lips in thought for a while. Max rested his head against Alec's chest, seeking comfort by listening to the steady _thump-thump_ of his heartbeat. Alec had a thought and watched his son's face carefully. "It's not to do with your birthday is it?"

Max gazed up at his Dad in confusion. "What? My birthday's not for another few days yet. Why would I be worried about that?"

"Maybe it's the fact that we're going to be in Idris this year for your birthday, instead of at the Institute." Alec mused as he squeezed his hand again in reassurance. "I know you don't have a lot of fond memories of that place – trust me, I don't either – so maybe it's playing on your subconscious."

Max stayed silent and thought about what his Dad said. Max hadn't even thought about Idris being a possible answer for his sleeplessness. It was true that he didn't have a lot of good memories of the glamoured country or its glass city. He knew that he must have either been born there or nearby at least, for his birth mother to have left him on the doorstep of the Shadowhunter Academy when he was a baby. But if he had to be honest, he had no love for the country even though most of his closest family had been born there themselves.

"Look Max, you know your Papa and I are here for you if you ever want to talk. You can talk to us about anything and we definitely won't be offended if you felt that you wanted to look for your birth mother -"

"Dad, I don't want to look for my birth mother. I don't want anything to do with her." Max replied hotly, taking a slow breath to calm himself down. "In fact, the best thing she ever did for me was leave me on that doorstep for you to find me."

"Okay," Alec nodded quietly.

They fell silent as they watched the living room slowly brighten around them as dawn turned into early morning. It wasn't long before Chairman Meow appeared from the side of the sofa with a bemused purr, as if he wasn't expecting to find someone up before him. Alec reached down and gave him a scratch behind his ears, to which his tail perked up happily.

"Right kiddo, I don't know about you but I could do with something to eat before going to bed for some much needed sleep." Alec announced as he stood up and stretched with a yawn. "Want some scrambled eggs?"

"With some bacon..?" Max asked hopefully.

Alec nodded, even though he knew that was what Max wanted everyday for his breakfast. "Sure. But you have to feed Chairman Meow. His food pouches are in the cupboard next to the fridge."

Shortly Alec was dishing up their breakfasts as Max sat at the kitchen counter that served as a table, when Magnus shuffled into the room with bleary eyes, dressed in his silk kimono dressing gown and his hair in disarray. He stared at them for a moment, taking in the sight of his husband having breakfast with his son and inwardly smiled. "I thought I smelled bacon. What are you two doing up?"

"Just talking," Alec shrugged, taking a bite of his eggs. "How did you sleep?"

Magnus groaned, tiredly waving his hand. "Ugh, I hate morning people. Ask me when I'm more awake. Please tell me you made coffee."

"It's in the pot on the side." Alec chuckled, leaning up to give Magnus a small kiss on his mouth before returning to his food.

"That's my man. You know me so well, darling." Magnus smiled as he poured himself a cup. "Max if you ever want to find true love; find someone with a coffee machine. It's an essential key to all relationships."

"Sure, I will Papa." Max shared a grin with Alec, who rolled his eyes fondly as Magnus turned around and leaned against the counter. A moment later, a sleepy Rafael walked into the room rubbing his eyes.

"Hey, why didn't anyone tell me we're having an early breakfast?" he yawned sitting next to Max and swiping up his last piece of bacon off his plate.

"Rafe, get your own bacon, that's mine!" Max complained, snapping his fingers as the bacon in Rafael's fingers suddenly reappeared on Max's plate.

Rafael raised an eyebrow at Max. "Seriously hermano? Are you honestly going to sit there and deprive me of bacon?"

"Yeah," Max replied with a teasing grin as he stuffed his mouth and let out a moan. "Hmm, this bacon is sooo good."

"That was pure evil, Max." Rafael stared at his brother with an impressed look. "I've trained you well."

Max grinned as their parents laughed at them both, before Magnus summoned two steaming plates of scrambled eggs and bacon for the latecomers and started to eat.

* * *

"What do you want for your birthday Max?" Evie asked over her shoulder, her eyes admiringly searching for her favourite weapon. "I'm sneaking into town after training to do some shopping before my uncle picks me up. But I haven't the foggiest of what to get you."

"You don't have to get me anything." Max replied as he stretched out the aching muscles in his legs. "Honestly, I'm just happy that your mother let you come with us to Idris."

Evie grinned at him as she lifted two steel axes from the wall. She twirled them in her hands, watching the light shimmer on the blades as she returned to the mat. Before Max could catch her movement, the axes flew through the air and landed with two loud smacks on a target twenty feet away from her. Max noticed there was a look in her eyes that he had often seen on his Aunt Isabelle's face whenever she was training with her whip. It was a kind of enthusiasm that was on the edge of becoming an obsession if it wasn't reeled back in time.

A low whistle came from behind them, quickly followed by slow clapping as Max and Evie spun around in surprise to see Rafael standing with a crossbow slung behind his back. " _Nice_ Evie. Although that was my last target you know. Uncle Jace is still waiting on another shipment from Idris to come through."

"It's still usable." Evie replied as she skipped over to the target to retrieve her weapons. A large chunk of wood split from the target as she pulled out one of her axes whereas another fell to the floor completely, leaving the edges looking oddly shaped. "Oops. Oh well, you'll get over it."

Max spotted a small half smile appear on Rafe's face as he shook his head. Over the last few months since Evie had admitted her crush on Rafael, they had formed a slightly odd familiarity with each other, which Max couldn't particularly describe. There were moments when they were all together in one room and Max could sense this tension between them that was going about unspoken. He would often notice a small smirk or lingering look between them that made Max feel awkward enough to leave the room. But the next minute, they would be teasing each other like they were siblings.

"What are you getting Max for his birthday Rafe?" Evie asked curiously as she returned to the mat, brushing stray splinters of wood from the axes cheeks.

"I'm not telling you in front of him. It'll ruin the surprise." Rafe rolled his eyes as if to say _I'm not an idiot_.

"You're not planning on doing something embarrassing are you?" Max said suspiciously.

Rafael gaped at Max with an offended expression. "What me? No hermano! Why would you think I would do something as horrible as embarrassing my little brother on his sixteenth birthday?"

"Because I know you Rafe and that is exactly the kind of thing you'd do."

"True, but this time its different. I promise." Rafael held up his hands in an innocent gesture.

"I'll believe it when I see it."

Evie watched the two brothers bicker with each other and quietly laughed at their antics. "Alright guys enough. None of this is going to help us train. You can carry on arguing later."

"Si _Mama_ ," Rafael replied as he shared a grin with Max. Evie rolled her eyes as they all resumed their training.

* * *

When they eventually got to Idris, Max found himself spending most of his time with his brother and Evie whilst the rest of his family attended meetings with the Clave. His parents had been reluctant to leave them on their own so early into the trip and had hoped to have a small family meal to talk about what they wanted to do whilst they were there. But as soon as they got through the warded gates of Alicante, an escort of guards met them there and told them that there was an emergency meeting to discuss a secret issue that they preferred not to say in front of Max, Rafe and Evie.

So a couple of hours later, Max soon found himself wandering through the city with Rafe and Evie, idly kicking a stone in front of him as they went.

"So that's the Accords hall then? That's where the Faeries attacked everyone during the Dark War? Whoa." Evie whistled slowly, looking up at the building in awe next to Rafe. "It seems so ordinary. You'd think that after an event like that it would have some sort of echo or imprint of what happened here but it doesn't. It's just normal."

"Well it gives me the creeps." Max shuddered, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Papa told me that in some cases, if there have been a great number of deaths concentrated in one place, it can sometimes leave residual magic. It would be dark magic though, the stuff that some warlocks might use for necromancy."

"I'm guessing that would be bad." Evie said casting a sideways look at Max.

"Necromancy is forbidden for a reason. There is so much that can go wrong when doing a ritual and even then, you might not get what you wanted."

"It's a good job you're not going down that route then, eh Max?" Rafael said trying to lighten the tone of the conversation. "Shall we move on? Alicante is a big place and we have a lot of ground to cover on this tour."

"I wonder if we'll see any ghosts." Evie mused as they set off down the road that led to the old manor houses. "I've heard that there's this one ghost that haunts the London Institute. There was an urban legend about it or something. Apparently, the ghost used to be a shadowhunter who betrayed the Institute and now has to protect it for the rest of her afterlife as punishment."

"There's no ghost at the institute. If there was, where's the proof?" Rafe scoffed.

"Oh so you believe in demons and angels but ghosts are a step too far?" Evie replied with a raised eyebrow.

Rafael gave her a withering look. "I've seen demons. My parents have seen demons. Uncle Jace and Aunt Clary have been in the presence of angels. Those are real. Why would you want to believe in something that might not even be real?"

Max looked at them both as they walked, hands in his pockets as they went. He noticed a sad look appear on Evie's face and she shrugged half-heartedly. "I don't know. It's just a nice thought, you know?"

She crossed her arms and walked ahead, leaving Max and Rafael behind. They shared a concerned look with each other before they hurried after her. They soon found her back at the Inquisitor's home, which was still currently owned by their Grandpa Robert, sitting on the couch and staring at something in her hands.

"You alright, Evie?" Rafael asked, throwing himself onto the couch next to her whilst Max sat down on the other side. Rafael gestured to her clasped hands with a nod. "What's that you got there?"

Evie looked up at him and shrugged her shoulders, slowly opening her hands to reveal a small steel ring with a pattern of crosses around the edge. "It's nothing really. Mother said that this used to belong to Dad before he died. It's the Thrushcross family ring."

Max watched her hold it up for them to see clearly. He knew about Shadowhunter family rings. He knew about the tradition of passing down rings to descendents or future spouses to represent their commitment to each other. His Papa wore a Lightwood family ring on his wedding finger, since he had married into the family. Most likely when the time came, his Dad would pass down his ring to Rafael as he was the oldest.

Evie continued talking, turning the ring over in her hands as she did. "Mother doesn't really talk about Dad much. I guess she still finds it hard. So I suppose when she let me come with you guys to Idris, this was her way of letting me learn about what happened to him without her bringing up bad memories."

"So that's why you were interested in the Accords hall. He died there didn't he?" Max said and she nodded in reply.

"His body isn't buried in the City of Bones so I thought that maybe his ghost might still be around here or something. I never got a chance to know him. He never got to meet me." Evie's voice shook unsteadily.

Max took her hand in his and squeezed it comfortingly whilst Rafael wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side and letting her rest her head on his shoulder. Rafe shared a look with Max and then looked down at Evie. "I don't really remember my parents. I mean, I remember vaguely what they looked like but no features or anything memorable."

"And I can't remember anything before I was found by Uncle Simon and Papa." Max added. Evie looked up at them quietly. "I don't even know if my birth mother is still alive, not that I really care. You're not on your own Evie. You can always talk to us if you need to."

"Thanks guys." She gave them a small smile as she slipped her ring back onto her index finger.

Rafael brushed away a stray tear on her cheek with the pad of his thumb, giving her a small smile. Max watched them as they looked at each other quietly and he sensed the awkward tension between them. He cleared his throat and they jumped apart.

"Right, so…" Evie suddenly stood up, brushing down her clothes before turning to them with a grin. "You know what we should do. I reckon we should take a leaf out of your Papa's book and start the party early."

"What are you talking about? My birthday isn't until tomorrow." Max frowned at her as she started searching around the room for something.

"Exactly," she grinned at him as her head popped up from behind the couch. "Come on Max, you're going to be sixteen tomorrow. You've read plenty of mundane fiction, haven't you? Surely you know what happens when someone turns sixteen."

Max stared at her in confusion. A slow grin appeared on Rafael's face as he shot up and leapt over the back of the couch, heading out of the room and coming back a moment later with a small bottle of whiskey. Max looked at him in shock. "Where'd you get that?"

"Grandpa Robert's office." He grinned, sitting next to his little brother as Evie joined them. "Don't worry, we won't have much and I promise we won't tell Dad. He'd ground us for sure if he found out."

"You don't have to if you don't want to. We won't judge you if you don't want one." Evie added as Rafael opened the bottle.

"I will." Rafe scoffed earning a sharp punch in the arm from Evie. He rolled his eyes and rubbed his arm. "Alright, I won't. Look, it's your birthday hermano, you can do what you want."

Max looked between the bottle and his brother. "Our parents won't find out?"

"I swear on the Angel." Rafael held up his hand innocently.

"Oh, is that what you think?"

Max jumped and they all spun around to find Magnus leaning against the doorframe, with a raised eyebrow. Rafael hid the whiskey bottle discreetly behind his back whilst Evie shared a sheepish look with him.

Max looked at his Papa in horror. "Papa, we weren't going to…We didn't know you were back already. Is Dad with you?" He tried to look behind his Papa into the hallway.

"They didn't need me for the rest of the meeting so I thought I'd come back here and check on you guys. I see I came back just in time." Magnus waved his hand and the whiskey bottle appeared in his hands with a flash of blue flames. He peered down at the label and frowned in disgust. "Oh Rafael, you could have picked a better bottle. I'm quite disappointed."

"Sorry Papa, I'll put it back where I found it." Rafael moved to stand up when Magnus suddenly snapped his fingers. The bottle in his hand changed into a bottle of wine and he smiled.

"That's much better. Honestly boys, if you wanted to try alcohol you should have just asked. It's not illegal to drink with a parent's permission you know." Magnus entered the room and sat down on an armchair, looking at each of them. "You can have _one glass only_ for tonight and we won't tell Alec. It'll be our little secret." He winked at them and summoned four glasses, pouring the wine into each one.

"Thanks Papa." Rafael said sheepishly taking a sip with along with the others.

"Next time, if you try something like this again without either your father or I knowing, I will not care if you are an adult or not, I will ground you." He fixed Rafael with a stern look. "I'm not raising my sons to turn into teenage alcoholics and bad influences on their female friend." He turned his attention to Evie and raised an eyebrow at her.

Evie huddled into the couch next to Max and sheepishly apologised. Magnus nodded and took a sip of his drink. "As long as it doesn't happen again, I'll let bygones be bygones. Now drink up, it's Max's birthday tomorrow. We should be celebrating."

Max took a sip of his drink and tried not to grimace at the taste. Evie bumped Max's shoulder and whispered into his ear. "Your Dad is so cool."

"Yeah, he is." Max grinned in reply watching from the corner of his eye as his Papa's mouth twitched with a smile against the rim of his glass.

* * *

Max spent most of his birthday feeling overwhelmed as family member after family member pulled him into hugs, kissing his cheeks and ruffling his already ruffled hair or wished him a happy birthday.

It hadn't been that bad this morning. In fact he quite enjoyed it. Rafael and Evie had woken him up by bundling on top of his bed (Max received a well intentioned pillow whack across the face by Rafael which ended up getting caught on one of his horns and tearing, scattering feathers all over the bed), wishing him a happy birthday whilst they gave him their presents.

Rafael had given him a set of steel blades and targets. Over the years, Max had become quite adept and shooting things across the room using his magic. Half the time he always missed his intended target (usually Rafael when he annoyed him), so to help with that Rafael decided to get him some miniature targets to keep him focused. The blades were just incentive.

When he opened Evie's present, he was surprised to find a set of books where the writing ran back to front. Evie watched his reaction nervously. "I found them in a mundane bookstore back in Brooklyn. Apparently the mundanes call them "manga" books. I thought they might be something you might like."

"Thanks. I've never read any manga before so this seems interesting." Max replied, making quotation marks with his fingers.

"Yeah, I don't know why I picked them to be honest. I was just browsing the shelves and I kept being drawn to them for some reason." Evie said with a nonchalant shrug. She then caught Rafael twirling his finger next to his temple and tackled him to the floor with a giggle. Max joined them a few minutes later, wrestling with them both and laughing his head off until his parents came in to announce breakfast.

Max soon found himself standing awkwardly by the living room door as the rest of his family mingled with each other. His Papa had thrown a surprise party for Max's birthday. Drinks were flowing, the buffet table in the corner replenished itself when it started getting low on nibbles and music was blaring from speakers that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Everyone was enjoying themselves. Max spotted Rafael and Evie chatting amicably on a sofa and smiled. He may not be able to figure out their relationship exactly, but he could tell a mile off that they seemed happy in each other's company.

Max headed for the front door after deciding he wanted some fresh air, taking a seat on a bench across the street. He felt exhausted so he debated with himself about whether to call it a night and go to bed.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

Max looked up in surprise to find a young bespectacled boy gesturing to the empty space next to him. Max shook his head and offered him a smile as the boy sat down. The young boy beamed at him in excitement and pushed his glasses up his nose. "It looks like a fun party in there. Is it someone's birthday?"

"It's mine. Well, kind of. It's a long story." Max said awkwardly. He didn't really know when he was born. When his parents adopted him they had decided that the day they found him would serve as his birthday.

"How old are you?"

"I've just turned sixteen."

"Really?" The boy seemed to perk up with interest. "I'm only nine."

Max paused in thought for a moment before casting his gaze around themselves and finding the street completely empty. "Where are your parents? It's a bit dangerous for you to be out here on your own isn't it?"

"I'm not on my own, I'm with you. My family is nearby so I'm in no danger anyway." The boy shrugged and turned his attention back to the party playing out through the window. "I never got a party like that for my birthday. My last birthday was just a small occasion with my family. Did you get any nice presents?"

Max didn't know why he was talking to a boy he had never met before. He was never usually so talkative to strangers unless someone he knew was with him. But there was just something about this young boy that seemed vaguely familiar to him. He didn't seem like a stranger somehow. "I got a few things, mostly books. I absolutely love reading."

"I like reading too. Have you ever heard of Naruto? It's a manga series with lots of pictures like a comic book, but you have to read it back to front to understand the story."

Max looked at the boy in bemusement. "My friend got me a series like that. Actually I think that's the series she gave me this morning."

The boy smiled excitedly, his teeth shining whitely compared to the dark colour of his hair. "I only had the first book but it was definitely my favourite. I never got to finish it though. I was too busy to find time to read the rest of it."

The sound of laughter alerted them to the party and Max spotted his Dad walk by the window. His dad had been quiet for most of the day, only speaking up when someone asked him if he was alright, but even then he replied with a smile. It wasn't unusual for his Dad to be quiet but to Max, it seemed different. His Dad seemed to be dwelling on something…

"I know him. That's Alec Lightwood, right?" the young boy asked suddenly. Max nodded. "I thought so. He looks different from what I remember."

"You know my Dad? How?"

"He's my big brother." the boy replied with a smile, pushing his slipping glasses up his nose once again.

Max frowned. "But Dad doesn't have a little brother, at least not anymore. His little brother died during the Mortal War…" He trailed off and stared at the young boy. Now that he looked more closely at the boy's features, he took note of his dark brown hair and two grey eyes that seemed familiar. "Wait, are you…?"

The boy continued as if Max had never spoken. "I'm glad Alec's happier now. He never used to be. Izzy always said it was because he was lonely. I didn't understand back then how he could be lonely when he had me, Jace and Izzy, but I understand now." The boy turned to Max with serious eyes. "You will look after him for me, won't you? I know he feels uncomfortable in this place but I want him to move on; Izzy and Jace too. But they can't move on if they keep remembering the war every time they come here."

"Max, where are you? You're missing your party." Alec's voice suddenly called as the front door slowly opened across the street.

Max felt his hand go cold. He looked down to find the boy touching the back of his hand gently. "Promise me. Promise me you'll help them move on."

"I-I will." Max nodded seriously, watching the boy smile happily before he slowly faded away into mist. "I promise…"

"Max, what are you doing out here? Everyone was wondering where you were." Alec asked with an amused expression as he slowly walked over to him. "Have you been sat out here all on your own?"

"No I was…nevermind. It doesn't matter." Max stood up and looked up at his Dad with a smile. "I just needed some fresh air. Shall we go back in?"

"Are you sure? Your grandmother is thinking of bringing out all of the old baby photos of you to show everyone." Alec chuckled as Max's face formed into a look of horror. "And I don't think your Papa is going to stop her."

"By the Angel, what are they thinking? It'll be so embarrassing."

"Come on, if we're quick we may just get them distracted enough to forget the whole idea. I'll distract your Papa and you deal with my mother. Deal?"

"Deal."

Max started back towards the house, determined to find his grandmother before she could complete her plan to completely embarrass him in front of his whole family, when he heard his Dad call his name. "Max?"

"Yes Dad?"

Alec stared at the empty bench for a moment in thought. "Max…was there someone out here with you? I could've sworn I heard you talking to someone."

Max wondered for a moment whether he should tell his Dad about the ghost he was speaking to – for he was certain that he had been speaking to a ghost – but then he wondered how his Dad would take the news that his little brother had visited his son. If he knew his little brother's ghost was around then he might never move on…

He shook his head. "No. You must have been hearing things Dad."

Alec hesitated and then shook his head, before following his son back to the party. "Oh well. Happy birthday, Max." Alec leaned down and kissed the top of Max's head.

Magnus suddenly appeared leaning unsteadily against the doorframe with a large grin on his face as Alec closed the door behind them. "Alexander darling, Maryse has found the old photo albums! Isn't that wonderful? Do you remember that time when Max was pretending to be a pirate in the bathtub when he was three?"

Max clasped his hands to his ears, yelling at the top of his voice and darted away from his parents as fast as he could. Magnus and Alec burst into laughter, before Magnus leaned up to press a kiss to Alec's lips.


	13. Tantrums and Other Troubles

_Hello everyone! I'm back!  
_

 _Long time, no update. So sorry for that. I meant to upload this last week but I lost contact with my beta reader for some reason and so I had to find a new one. I've also been working on a couple of oneshots which I've published already (more on that in a sec) as well as doing a lot of beta reading. So it's safe to say I've been fairly busy._

 _Onwards! This chapter is one of the first ideas I ever had for this series but have only just managed to finish it. For those of you who have read my notes on_ **_Distractions_** _will be pleased to know that this is the chapter I was telling you about with the whole "Max is on the ceiling" thing. See? I did have a plan._

 _For those of you who are interested in reading my other oneshots, there is one called_ **Reasons** _which is a companion piece to this series, which personally I don't think fitted in well with the themes of this series. The other one is called_ **Vulnerability** _which is an M rated story that follows the events of the How thou Have Fallen episode on Shadowhunters. Please take note that if you are underage, please wait until you are old enough to read that one._

 _ **Spoilers:** This chapter is set just a couple of weeks/months after Alec and Magnus adopt Max. It features spoilers for_ **Lady Midnight** _and_ _possibly_ **Lord of Shadows** _. It also_ _features cameos from Jace, Isabelle and Malcolm Fade.  
_

 _Thanks go out to the wonderful_ **hmweasley** _who very kindly agreed to take over as my beta reader for this series after I lost contact with my last Beta, and who has proof read this chapter. Please feel free to check out some of her stories, that would be awesome of you._

 _Please let me know what you think of this chapter. I've been dying to know how you'll react to the last part with Max. (Mwa ha ha!)_

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

 **The Lightwood Bane Chronicles**

 **Tantrums and other Troubles**

Magnus Bane is a man of many talents.

He could create wonders of magic with barely a flex of his fingers that would make you wonder what was real and what was fantasy. He could put together a dashing outfit that would look like it had just appeared on a catwalk in Milan (not to mention that he may or may not have inspired the Mad Hatter's look when he was in Oxford during the 1800s on an errand for his friend Ragnor Fell). He could mix a delicious cocktail or two that could make you drunker than a sailor after just one glass all whilst serving as host at one of his unforgettable Downworld parties. And let's just say he wasn't too shabby when it comes to taking someone out on a date.

But dealing with a screeching baby having a tantrum? Well, he was still working on that. Whichever idiot who claimed parenting was a breeze deserved to go to Edom in a matchbox.

"Alexander, Max is still crying. I've changed him, fed him, burped him, played with him and he still won't stop crying!" Magnus whined, trying to balance his mobile against his ear whilst bouncing a wailing Max in his arms. "I've tried everything. Please come back. He never cries when you're around."

"Magnus, I've already postponed this meeting three times now. I can't postpone it any longer. He's probably just tired. Or maybe he's teething. Try warming some milk. It might help soothe his gums." Alec sighed on the other end of the line.

"I've tried that. I've tried everything short of putting rum in his bottle, which at the moment is looking very tempting," Magnus replied, eyeing up an open bottle of Captain Morgan's on his kitchen table.

"Don't you dare, Magnus! You can't give a one-year-old alcohol. It will make him sick."

"I was only going to put a capful in his bottle." Magnus rolled his eyes.

"Magnus!"

"Alright, alright! No rum for the baby, okay?" At this point, Max let out a wail that was quickly cut short by an eruption of pale grey vomit that ended up down Magnus's silk shirt. "What the- Oh, Blueberry! Why? Why must you vomit on all of my clothes? This is the fourth shirt I've had to throw out this week!"

Max looked tearfully up at Magnus, his little bottom lip pushed out in a trembling pout before he sniffled unhappily and cried some more, turning his round chubby face a dark shade of violet. Magnus felt his face drain of blood as he held up Max and put on a smile. "Oh no, Max, I'm sorry. Really, I'm very sorry! Please stop crying."

"Magnus, are you still there? Look I have to go. I'll be home as soon as I can later. I love you."

"No wait, Alec!"

Alec's voice was replaced by a dull pitched dial tone as he ended the call, leaving Magnus to fend for himself. Magnus huffed and let his phone fall to the floor. "You hear that, Blueberry? He'll be home as soon as he can, all the while leaving poor old me to look after you on my own. What a cruel race these Shadowhunters are, eh? Utterly terrible creatures."

Magnus wasn't sure, but he could've have sworn Max's crying got louder. Magnus held Max against his chest, his nose scrunching up in disgust from the smell of sour throw-up on his shirt as he headed over to the couch and picked up one of Max's rattles. "Come on, Max, help me out. I'll buy you a new toy if you stop crying. How about a giraffe? Or maybe a tambourine..?"

Magnus looked around his apartment for something to distract Max until he suddenly had a crazy idea. Maybe it was the constant screaming turning his brain to mush or maybe because he didn't get to have breakfast before Max started up his tantrum, but he headed into the kitchen and opened the fridge. "Hey, Blueberry, look! Look! What's this?" He shifted Max against his hip and closed the fridge door before opening it up. The fridge light flicked on and Magnus gasped. "Look! Light on, light off!"

Max fell quiet suddenly as he watched with a pout as Magnus opened and closed the fridge door. He was still crying and snot ran down from his nose and onto his chin. "No?" Magnus looked around frantically for a better distraction. His eyes fell on the toaster. "Ah, what about this," He hastily put two slices of bread in the toaster and put it on its lowest setting. "You'll like this, Max. Trust me, the first time I saw this back in the 1920s, it honestly made me jump." Suddenly, the toast popped up with a ping, and Magnus watched as Max blinked in surprise. Magnus switched on the toaster again and minutes later the toast jumped up with another ping. Max stared in awe at the toaster as Magnus switched on the toaster again and again.

By the time Alec got home that evening, two whole loaves of bread had been burnt into blackened pieces of toast and Magnus was standing half asleep with a giggling Max on his hip as the toaster pinged.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the only time Alec and Magnus have had to deal with one of Max's tantrums, which became more frequent as he grew older. And it wasn't just the tantrums they had to deal with either. Max was a Warlock after all. And Magnus knew that Max's magic would start to manifest as he grew older.

He just didn't expect it so soon.

* * *

Magnus was disappointed when his lovely dream was sadly interrupted by Chairman Meow yowling in his ear. Magnus tried to bat the pesky little cat away, but as he lifted his hand he heard the sound of Max's wailing coming from the other room.

"Alec my love, it's your turn," Magnus grumbled as he rolled over and folded his pillow around his head in a bid to stifle the sound of Chairman Meow's yowling.

"Magnus, I only got back from patrol an hour ago." Alec grumbled, his body tired and unmoving from where he had flopped on top of the covers when he arrived home earlier. He had only just stripped out of his blood covered clothes before he collapsed.

"It's still your turn, Alexander." Magnus sighed, blearily peeking through his eyelashes at Alec's silhouette. "Besides, I had to get him to bed and trust me you've got the easier job. That kid just doesn't like routine."

Alec groaned and slowly rolled out of bed. "Fine." Alec rubbed his eyes tiredly as he quietly padded out of the room. Magnus closed his eyes again and listened as Alec called out to Max. "Max, it's okay. Daddy's coming."

Magnus stretched out and yawned before falling back to sleep, wondering whether his dream would visit him again. He tried to remember what it was about. Something about Mojitos and Alec wearing just an apron he thought, when suddenly he was jolted awake at the sound of Alec yelling, "Magnus! Come quick!"

Magnus scrambled out of bed and ran after Alec in a panic, switching on Max's bedroom light as he entered. Magnus balked at the sight before him. Alec was stood on Max's toddler bed, trying to reach up to the ceiling where Max was floating in his favourite comfort blanket and crying in confusion. Alec glanced over his shoulder at Magnus with wide fearful eyes. "Magnus, help me! We have to get him down before he hurts himself."

Magnus snapped his fingers and sent gentle blue flames upwards towards Max and slowly brought him down into Alec's outstretched arms. Alec tried to calm Max down but the little warlock kept crying. Alec looked over at Magnus. "Magnus, how did Max end up on the ceiling? Is that normal for warlock babies?"

"How should I know?" Magnus replied exasperatedly as he joined Alec and Max on the bed. "It's been centuries since I was his age. His magic must be manifesting sooner than I thought."

"What do you mean 'sooner than you thought'?"

"Well, my magic started manifesting when I was a small child but it was never this young. I just assumed it was like that for all warlocks but obviously it must be different for everyone," Magnus said, reaching out and stroking Max's head soothingly. Max stretched out his little chubby arms towards Magnus, so Alec passed him over. With Max lying against Magnus's chest, he slowly started to calm down. Magnus looked over at Alec with a sigh. "Perhaps we should have him in with us tonight, just in case he ends up on the ceiling again."

"Good idea." Alec nodded, standing up and running a hand through his already messy hair, his fingers getting caught on the matted blood. He grimaced. "I'll just go get cleaned up. I'll meet you in there."

"Okay, darling." Magnus stood and pressed a small kiss to Alec's lips as they exited Max's bedroom and closed the door behind them. Magnus walked into his bedroom that he now shared with Alec, softly cooing at Max as he went. "Okay Blueberry, you're going to sleep in Daddy and Papa's room tonight. If the Chairman tries sleeping on your head just nudge him away, okay? He has a cushion to sleep on anyway but that doesn't usually stop him from trying."

Max burbled quietly as he wriggled in Magnus's arms whilst Magnus got back into bed, gently nudging Chairman Meow along to make room for Max to sleep next to him in the centre of the bed. Alec joined them shortly after, placing a kiss to Max's forehead as he quietly slept curled into Magnus's side. Magnus looked over at him and gave him a smile, tightening his hold on Max before they all went back to sleep.

This became the norm for several nights as Magnus and Alec woke groggily to find Max on the ceiling once again during the night despite trying all sorts of things to keep him on the ground. They tried tightening his blankets, dressing him in heavy pyjamas, everything short of chaining him to the bed, but still he somehow managed to be floating above his bed in the early hours of the morning. Alec and Magnus even took turns staying in Max's room to watch over him as he slept.

But the sleepless nights began to take its toll on them both as days changed into weeks and then changed into months. Magnus became so sleep deprived that he almost ended up giving a client a potion for removing warts when they had asked for an elixir to give them ethereal beauty (although Magnus thought he wasn't far off the correct potion). Alec had fallen asleep many times at the Institute, quite often during meetings and even once whilst he was training with Isabelle and Jace.

"This can't go on brother," Jace huffed as he and Isabelle hefted a tired Alec up the stairs to Magnus's apartment. "You need to sleep, Alec. You can't keep loading yourself up on caffeine and alertness runes all the time."

"Well if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them." Alec replied dryly with eyes barely open as he fumbled with his keys, to which Isabelle took them from him and opened the door with her stele. They entered the apartment to find Magnus lying on the sofa, his clothes crumpled and Chairman Meow nestled happily in his hair as the warlock dozed. Max was on the floor in front of him looking at a picture book, completely at ease.

Isabelle and Jace looked at each other with a sigh and nodded before Isabelle kicked the door behind them shut with a bang. Max looked up in surprise as Magnus jolted awake. "WHO DARES TO CALL ON THE HIGH – Oh, Alexander, it's you. When did you get back?"

Jace rolled his eyes as he guided Alec around the sofa. Isabelle marched over to Magnus and helped him up. "Right, come on. You and Alec are going to get some rest whilst Jace and I watch Max for a little while."

Alec straightened up in protest. "What? Izzy, we're fine, we don't need any help."

Magnus scoffed. "Speak for yourself, darling." He let out a yawn as he rounded the sofa and took hold of Alec who swayed and leaned into Magnus instead. "Come on, sleep deprivation can kill Nephilim as well as demons you know."

"Okay, maybe just ten minutes…" Alec grumbled as he and Magnus were frogmarched from the room by Isabelle and quietly tucked into their bed, falling fast asleep as soon as their heads hit the numerous pillows. Isabelle shook her head and tutted at the sight of her big brother and his boyfriend, smoothing out Alec's hair and kissing his head before quietly leaving them alone.

Isabelle quickly found Jace sitting on the floor with Max in his lap, reading one of Max's colourful picture books. Max pointed at a small square of colour with a frown. "That's red, Max, like the demon towers in Alicante. We'll take you to see them when you're a bit older," Jace said, smiling quietly as Max pointed at another colour. "That's blue. Can you show me what else is blue, Max?" The young warlock looked up at Jace in thought before he pointed at himself inquisitively. Jace nodded with a smile. "Well done, Max! You're blue too." Max nodded with a smile before pointing at another colour.

Isabelle smiled before she sat down next to them and flipped her hair out of her face. "Alec and Magnus are completely exhausted, poor things. We've got to sort something out with Max's routine. Or at least offer to look after him more."

Jace nodded in agreement as Max began turning pages of his book. Isabelle tickled Max's armpit, earning a squeal from her nephew. "We should come up with a rota! We can all have turns looking after him. I'm sure Simon and Clary won't mind."

"They're still in the middle of training, Iz. They should focus more on that."

Isabelle raised an eyebrow at him. "If they want to be a part of our family, then they can pitch in once in awhile. Besides, it's not as if they're training around the clock, is it? They've got to have a break sometime."

Jace gave a half shrug. "I suppose so. I'm not changing his diaper though. Simon can do that."

"Yeah, Simon is definitely doing that." Isabelle laughed, tickling Max's neck and making him giggle.

* * *

Two months later, things were finally getting back to normal. There were no more troubles of Max floating on the ceiling, and Alec and Magnus were able to get a full night's sleep again. Things were looking up.

Alec felt good to be finally home as he pulled out his keys and unlocked the front door to the loft.

"Magnus, I'm back," he called out with a yawn as he deposited his bow and quiver in its place beside the door. Since he had moved his things out of the Institute he had never felt more at home than when he found his things mixed in with Magnus's. Sometimes he'd find one of his sweaters folded up on a table next to one of Magnus's summoning books or he'd find Magnus himself fixing one of Alec's arrows whilst Chairman Meow batted the fletches. Now with the addition of Max he'd often come across a stray stuffed cat or bottle that had been left on the side.

"In here, Sweet Pea," Magnus called from his study area where he often kept his potion ingredients out of reach of Max. Alec smiled.

"I thought we agreed on a different name." Alec chuckled as he plodded towards the kitchen and opened the fridge to get out some milk.

"Not whilst we have company, Alexander." Alec felt Magnus's arms wrap around his waist as Magnus pressed a kiss to his neck. Alec grinned as he twisted round and pressed a loving kiss on Magnus's lips. When they broke away Alec noticed another man standing awkwardly by the couch, holding a box of various sized vials and bottles, his purple eyes looking very pointedly everywhere but at them. Magnus gestured to the man with a wave of his hand. "Alec, this is Malcolm Fade, the High Warlock of Los Angeles. Malcolm, this is Alexander Lightwood, my gorgeous boyfriend. You might have met before, I don't care right now. Do you want a coffee, darling?"

"Oh goodness, no. Too much caffeine. Can I have a smoothie instead?" Malcolm beamed before Alec could reply and Magnus rolled his cat eyes. Alec shrugged off his jacket and went to hang it up next to Max's coat by the door.

"Don't mind him, Alec. He's here on business with Catarina and he thought he'd drop by." Magnus said over his shoulder as he switched on the coffee machine and conjured up two cups, one with the glittery words _Better than Gandalf_ written on it and the other _Better than Legolas_ written on it in green. Magnus had picked out his cup which is probably why Alec had no clue what a legolas was.

Malcolm nodded with an attempt at a serious frown. "Oh yes, I'm looking to make a potion for poor Julian Blackthorn's uncle."

"Is he alright?" Alec felt concern for the boy. He remembered Jace telling him about the young boy Clary had come across back when they were in Idris during the Dark War. He remembered when the young boy was called upon to hold the Mortal Sword after the battle was over.

Malcolm shook his head. "Not quite. His nephew said he hasn't been himself since the war. Keeps talking about ghosts chatting to him when there's nothing there. He's probably just exhausted. This potion should help though." Alec caught Magnus's eye and they shared a look of grim uncertainty.

Chairman Meow suddenly appeared from around the couch looking frazzled, shortly followed by Max who was dragging a lead behind him. Max was dressed in a green T-shirt and a pair of worn out jeans which barely reached his dark blue ankles. When Max spotted Alec a bright grin exploded on his face as he dropped the lead and ran straight into Alec's arms.

"Hello there, Max, have you been a good boy for Papa whilst I've been away with Uncle Jace?" Max nodded his head as he ran back to the lead and picked it up to show Alec. "Are you trying to take the Chairman for a walk? He won't like that you know."

"He's having fun, Alec. At least he's not playing with my glitter anymore. It took me ages to get it out of the carpet." Magnus sighed, his fingers twitching as a blue flicker began to weave through them. "Maybe next time I'll just redecorate. I'm thinking roaring twenties, with a spatter of Parisian monarchy tradition thrown in. What do you reckon?"

"The loft looks fine, Magnus. We'll just get a new carpet."

Malcolm placed the box of bottles on the couch and crouched down to Max's height. "Your little child is growing fast, isn't he? It's been decades since I've seen a Warlock child this age." Malcolm tipped his head to the side and beamed with fascination when Max copied him. When Malcolm clasped his hands together, he let out a playful chuckle when Max clapped his hands too. "He's copying me. Delightful!"

"He does that from time to time." Magnus smiled fondly as he swept up Chairman Meow and gave him a scratch behind the ears. Alec joined Magnus by the counter and poured some coffee into the mugs, stirring in the milk as he watched Max playing with Malcolm.

The older warlock was poking out his tongue at the same time as Max when suddenly Max let out a sneeze. It was so unexpected what happened next that Alec wasn't entirely sure how it happened. He found himself suddenly on his back next to Magnus with the Chairman yowling in protest at the sound of Max crying on the other side of the counter. Alec scrambled up as quickly as he could, his coffee lying forgotten in it's own puddle on the floor, and leapt over the counter. Max was sat on his bottom with tears spilling out of his bright blue eyes and Malcolm kneeling next to him frozen in surprise. Alec scooped up the bawling child into a hug and rubbed his back. "Ssh, ssh, it's okay, Max. It's okay."

"Is everyone alright?" Magnus called as he made his way over to Malcolm and tried to get his attention. Malcolm shook his head as if coming out of a trance and scratched the side of his temple, slicking back his white blonde hair.

"Peachy. What just happened?" Malcolm chirped, looking from the floor to Max in confusion.

"Max just sneezed and we all ended up on our asses," Magnus explained as he helped Malcolm up before turning to Max who was still crying in Alec's arms. "I think perhaps we should take him to the park to calm down. A bit of fresh air will do him good. I'll finish up here and meet you there."

Alec nodded, handing Max over to Magnus so that he could glamour him to look normal. They did this every time they took Max outside just in case any mundanes spotted that Max was literally blue from head to foot. They often got enough stares as it was just being out together as a couple, some of them not too kind but New York was like that. Magnus didn't want to have to glamour the little boy all the time, but he knew that in order to keep him safe it was a necessity and it wouldn't be forever. It was only until Max could control his magic and he could learn to do it himself, whenever that was. Alec dressed Max in his coat and pulled a purple woolly hat on his head covering his now glamoured dark hair. Alec kissed Magnus goodbye, shouldered his bow and quiver (you could never be too careful in Central Park) and walked Max out of the loft.

By the time they got off the train in Central Park, Max had finally stopped crying, inquisitively looking about at everything as they walked. Alec smiled down at the little warlock as Max excitedly pointed at a woman walking her dog and then again at a group of teenagers having a picnic. Alec remembered his little brother Max being exactly the same, the first time he and Isabelle took him to Central Park. At the time, Alec had to sneak Isabelle and Max out of the Institute so that they could actually have some fun without their parents arguing around them. Looking back on it, Alec wondered how he didn't see the cracks in his parents' marriage before now. But he supposed it was one of those life lessons that you learn when you got older.

"Hey, Blueberry," Alec smiled, crouching down next to his son. Max looked up at Alec, frowning in concentration. Alec knew he had to be quick. His son often struggled to stay focused when there were other things in need of his attention happening around him. "Why don't we go get an ice cream? Would you like that, Max?"

Max gasped and nodded excitedly, bouncing up and down on the spot with a giggle as Alec stood up and took his hand. Max tugged on Alec's hand as they made their way over to an ice cream stand that was pitched next to a playground filled with shrieking mundane children and their mothers.

"Two vanilla cones with chocolate sauce please," Alec requested as he fished through his pockets for the right money. The vendor looked up from his magazine with a bored expression and sighed before he rummaged through a cardboard box sat beside him on the serving counter. Max watched the vendor with fascination.

"Ew, look at him! He looks so freaky!"

Alec looked up in alarm to find a small group of children by the playground laughing and pointing at him. He spotted another child in the playground run up to one of the mothers sat on a bench, tugging on her coat and pointing at Alec. The mother looked over curiously before her hand went to her mouth.

"Oh, my god…Sandra, look at that child over there. He's bright blue!"

Alec glanced down at Max who didn't seem to have noticed the commotion in the playground but was almost buzzing in excitement as the vendor placed two ice cream cones in front of them. "That'll be four dollars and ten cents please."

Alec scooped up Max in his arms and sent an apologetic look to the vendor. "I'm sorry, I've got to go."

"Are you serious? I can't waste stock. Hey, buddy, come back!"

Alec ignored the vendor's shouting as he hurried away as quickly as he could without looking suspicious. Max wriggled and whined unhappily, staring over Alec's shoulder at the ice cream stall. "I'm sorry, Max. I'll make it up to you, but I've got to get you out of sight quickly before any more mundanes see your demon marks."

Alec had just reached the exit to Central Park when he spotted Magnus across the road, waiting casually for the traffic to stop. Alec let out a sigh of relief and headed towards him, casting nervous glances at the bustling New Yorkers going about their business around him. Alec tried to relax and pretend that he was just a regular mundane out for a walk with his son on an ordinary day, but the worrying thoughts that Max's glamour had failed and had been seen – in public no less – wouldn't leave his mind. What if someone reported it and the Clave found out? Would the Clave take Max away from them to keep the shadow world secret?

Alec crossed the road just as Magnus looked up. His smile faltered when he saw Alec's worried expression. "Alexander, what's wrong?"

"Magnus, we have to get Max home now." Alec murmured to him, grasping hold of Magnus's arm and tugged him along the street. Magnus frowned in concern.

"Why? What happened?"

"I'll tell you on the way but we need to move quickly." Alec replied, casting a furtive glance around them as they ducked into a nearby alleyway. Alec stood huddled in a shadowy corner, rubbing soothing circles on Max's back as the toddler pouted. Magnus crossed his arms and frowned at his lover in concern, his broad shoulders blocking the view of the main road.

"Okay, can you tell me now? I thought we were meeting at the park."

"We were, Mags. I'm sorry. Max's glamour failed for some reason and everyone saw his blue skin. I couldn't think of what to do, so I picked up Max and took him away." Alec glanced at the other end of the alley sure that he had heard a noise, but when he saw nothing he returned his attention to Magnus. "What if the Clave finds out? After everything with the Cold Peace treaty, some Shadowhunters have been demanding more restrictions for Downworlders -"

"Alexander, calm down." Magnus reached out and calmly touched Alec's face. "The Clave isn't going to take Max. Trust me. The mundanes will probably forget all about what they saw by lunchtime. They'll just think that they were seeing things, a trick of the light."

Alec let out a slow breath and tried to relax. He could still feel his heart pounding unsteadily in his chest with adrenaline. Magnus was right. He was just being paranoid. But who could blame him really, what with everything he has seen in his lifetime. In the short space of a couple of years he and his whole family and friends have been involved in two devastating wars. Was it too much to ask that he wanted a little bit of normalcy without something happening to rip his family apart again?

A soft scuttling noise alerted Alec's attention to the end of the alley once more and he frowned. There was nothing there. He was definitely sure this time that he had heard something.

"Come on let's go. We can reapply Max's glamour and take him to that toy shop he likes. That'll cheer him up." Magnus suggested, smiling at Max as he held his little blue hand. "Would you like that Blueberry? Do you want Papa and Daddy to take you to the toy shop?"

"Shush, Magnus, I'm trying to listen. Here, take Max for a moment, will you?" Alec handed Max into Magnus's waiting arms before his un-shouldered his bow and knocked it with an arrow. Magnus fell silent as he watched Alec in alarm, cradling Max protectively to his chest.

Alec slipped his stele out of his pocket and quickly drew a hearing rune on the right side of his neck, directly under his earlobe where his ear canal would be closest. He cautiously made his way around the edge of the alley, following the sound of the scuttling noise. Alec ended up by a fire exit by one of the dumpsters, his attention fixed on a rustling rubbish bag.

"Magnus, take Max out of here." Alec called over his shoulder as he pulled back the string of his bow, arrow knocked and ready to be released.

"I'm not leaving you, Alec."

"I'll be fine, just go. Take Max somewhere safe."

Magnus bit his bottom lip before he reluctantly backed out of the alleyway, his eyes staying on Alec as he went. Alec stepped forward, taking a deep breath before he swiftly kicked the bag aside.

A filthy black rat squeaked in fright before it hastily scuttled away. Alec let out a sigh of relief, relaxed his stance and turned to Magnus with a smile. "It's okay. It was just a rat -"

Suddenly Alec heard an explosion behind him and he was knocked forward, landing heavily on the floor with a grunt of pain. He vaguely heard Magnus call out his name as he lifted his head up to find a huge screeching demon wriggling towards him. Alec thought that the demon looked like a huge slimy worm. Magnus was at his side a minute later, minus Max in his arms, as he helped Alec to his feet.

"Bloody lightworms…" Magnus muttered under his breath, glowering up at the demon with disgust.

"What did you call me?" Alec asked as he knocked another arrow onto the string of his bow and aimed at the demon's head.

"Not you, _him_!" Magnus pointed at the demon. Alec gave him a look as if to say Magnus was going to be in serious trouble if he didn't start explaining himself. Magnus sighed and ignited the magic in his hands. "It's a long story, I'll tell you about it later if we survive."

Alec finally noticed that Max was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Max?"

"Don't worry. He's hidden. I've put a protection shield around him, but it won't last so we'd better hurry up and kill this demon."

Alec nodded and loosed his arrow, watching it zip through the air towards the creature's head. The arrow buried itself with a squelching noise, earning a piercing screech from the demon as it flailed about. It swayed left into the nearby building, ripping the fire escape down from the brick wall and leaving it hanging limply in a tangle of rust and steel. Alec leapt into action, shooting arrow after arrow in an attempt to confuse the demon until he could get into a better position. On the other side of the alleyway, Magnus shot fireball after fireball at the demon as he leapt about, trying to keep the demon's attention on him.

"Yeah that's right! Look at me! Don't I look like a tasty Warlock?" Magnus yelled, flinging another ball of magic into the air. He glanced over at Alec, who was currently climbing the hanging fire escape as swiftly as he could. Magnus felt a small anxious ache of worry in his chest at the thought of Alec losing his footing and falling, but he pushed it away, knowing that Alec did this sort of thing all the time. Magnus turned back to the demon, which looked back at him with hatred. "Come on! Come and get me you fat, ugly piece of -"

The demon suddenly flicked its tail at Magnus, sending him flying back into the street behind them and landing heavily on the pavement. Magnus felt his magic slowly drain from his body and his eyes slid shut, slipping into unconsciousness. The demon screeched loudly as if it were laughing at what it did.

Alec stared on in horror, unable to make a sound as he crouched unsteadily on the fire escape. To make it even worse, Alec spotted Max suddenly crawling towards Magnus completely unprotected as the demon shuffled towards them. "MAX, NO!" Alec screamed, the words flying from his throat before he could stop them. The demon twisted around and stared at Alec before it resumed its shuffling, its blistered skin scraping horribly along the ground in haste.

Max finally reached Magnus's unconscious body as if he hadn't heard his Dad. The little warlock reached out and touched his Papa's limp hair, tugging gently on one of the spikes as he tried to get his attention. Tears started to fill Max's eyes as Magnus remained still. "P-Papa..?"

Through his enhanced hearing, Alec gasped as he heard Max's first word. Alec determinedly got to his feet, the fire escape lurching beneath his weight.

Max nudged Magnus's shoulder, his little blue fingers clenching the fabric of his shirt tightly. "Papa..." Max began to cry, his dark blue cheeks turning violet and his body shaking with shuddering gasps. He didn't notice the demon rise up behind him ready to crush them with its huge, bulbous body but Max didn't care. His Papa was hurt.

Suddenly the ground shook violently as a loud, piercing wail erupted from Max. The demon squealed and reared back as if in pain, scrambling backwards as best it could. Alec clapped his hands over his ears, his knees nearly buckling beneath him from the sound. The fire escape broke away from the wall with a loud creak and Alec had no choice but to leap into the air. The vicious smell of the demon hit his senses before he landed on the demon's disgusting head with a smack. Digging his feet into the ridges of the demon's skin, Alec held on tight as the creature tried to shake him off.

Max continued to wail and desperately shake Magnus's shoulder. Out on the street around them, mundanes scrambled about in panic probably thinking that they were in the middle of an earthquake. Cars crashed into each other as mundanes ran for cover. Max smacked Magnus's cheek. "Papa, wake up!"

Alec gritted his teeth and pulled a small seraph dagger from the side of his boot (a small necessity after the last patrol he went on with Jace and Isabelle went sideways) swiftly invoking an angel's name, before he plunged the shining blade deep into the demon's skull. Alec felt the demon tense beneath him, falling limply forward and disintegrated in a puddle of its own blood. Alec landed on the ground and rolled to his feet, gathering Max into a hug and kissing his son's head.

"Blueberry, I'm so happy that you're safe." He reached out to check Magnus's pulse, blinking back tears and then sighing in relief when he felt a threading beat under his fingers. "Oh thank the Angel!"

"P-Papa!" sniffled Max, crying into Alec's shoulder.

"Papa is going to be okay, Blueberry. Don't worry." Alec said soothingly, rubbing Max's back.

Alec looked up at the sound of hurried footsteps, spotting Jace and Isabelle running up the street towards them. "Alec, I felt you were in trouble. What happened? Are you all alright?" Jace demanded, anxiously checking over his parabatai and Max whilst Isabelle tended to Magnus.

Alec trembled as he tightly held Magnus's hand. "I'm okay. Just help Magnus, please. He got knocked out by a demon and I – Please, please just help him."

"We'll take him back to the Institute. Come on," Isabelle said, taking Max from Alec and standing up. Alec and Jace carefully lifted Magnus up and carried him back to the Institute between them, Isabelle leading the way.

Magnus woke hours later with the help of some magic from Malcolm and Catarina, whom Alec had called as soon as they arrived in the Institutes' infirmary. He had a splitting headache and his body felt like he had been run over with a car.

"Magnus, thank the Angel you're awake," Alec said shakily as he suddenly sat down on the edge of Magnus's bed, picking up his hand and pressing a kiss to his knuckles. "Are you alright?"

"Alexander…wait, where's Max?" Magnus asked, his brow creasing in worry.

"He's okay, Jace has got him."

"What happened? All I remember is being sent flying into the street by that demon and then nothing." Magnus groaned, letting his head relax against his pillows. He noted that he had a lot more pillows than all of the other cots in the room and wanted to smile, knowing somehow that it was all Alec's doing.

"It doesn't matter now. I'm just glad that you're safe." Alec leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to Magnus's lips.

The sound of a door opening made Alec and Magnus look up to find Jace walking in with Max in his arms, the little warlock wriggling impatiently and reaching out for his parents. "Papa, Papa!"

Magnus looked up at Alec in joy. "Did you hear that? He said 'Papa', Alexander. I'm his first word! Yes!"

"He saved your life, Magnus." Alec replied with a small smile, taking Max and sitting the toddler in his lap. Magnus couldn't find the words to speak so he gazed at his son and smiled, feeling his heart fill with heart warming pride.

Jace patted Magnus's shoulder. "I'm glad you're okay, Magnus. I'll leave you guys alone for a bit." He shared a look with Alec before he disappeared from the room.

Magnus felt Max grasp one of his fingers firmly. "Papa," he chirped happily with a smile, receiving a kiss on the top of his head from Alec.

"Yes, Blueberry, that's right. I'm your Papa." Magnus smiled back, reaching up and ruffling the toddler's hair. "And he loves you very much."


	14. Parabatai

_I'm back everybody!_

 _I'm really sorry that it has been so long since I last updated. I have been a little busy trying to switch college courses, and working on my mental health. I've also been working really hard to make sure this chapter is the best it could possibly be for you guys, so I'm sure that it will all be worth it after you read this. This is a super long chapter (roughly 21 pages) to make up for the wait._

 _Also thank you all to those who reviewed the_ _ **Tantrums and other Troubles**_ _chapter. That was actually one of the first chapters I initially planned when I first started this series so I'm glad you all enjoyed it._

 _This is a Rafael POV chapter for reasons that you will quickly find out. I have to say, I found it a bit tricky to get into the way that his mind works as I thought it might be a tad bit different from Max. But I like a challenge and I think it came out quite well. Evie is also back for this chapter (I know I said that she will be back for only one more chapter but I couldn't help myself and she's persistent so hey, what can I do?)._

 _There aren't any spoilers for the books or the show in this chapter, however there is a cameo from the lovely_ _ **Isabelle**_ _and_ _ **Jace**_ _._

 _I don't think I'll be able to update before Lord of Shadows comes out but I'm so looking forward to when I can get my hands on it. A HUGE thank you goes out to my wonderful Beta Reader_ _ **Hmweasley**_ _who has helped me immensely with their support with this chapter and deserves some credit for how it turned out in the end._

 _I look forward to hearing from you all. Any constructive feedback is welcome as well as any prompts as I seem to be running low on them now. Enjoy!_

 _P.S: If anyone is interested, I currently have a couple of crossovers in the works, one which is about halfway done and is a Lucifer/TMI crossover and the other which is a future TMI/Supernatural fic. If anyone is interested in reading those, please let me know._

* * *

 **The Lightwood Bane Chronicles**

 **Parabatai**

Rafael let out a loud sigh from where he was sat at the table, his head resting tiredly on his hand as he idly flicked through the book in front of him. Max glanced up at his brother for the fifth time in the last twenty minutes, biting the inside of his cheek for a moment before he returned his attention back to his book.

It had been a quiet day at the Institute, which was a rarity considering they lived in a city like New York, so Max had suggested they catch up on some quiet reading in the library to pass the time until their parents could escort them home. Normally, they would make their own way home, but recently there had been an increase in tensions between the Downworld and the Shadowhunters which had put their parents on edge.

Rafael let out another sigh and absentmindedly started drumming his fingers against the wood of the table. Max felt his shoulders tense in annoyance as he shot a look over the top of his book. "Rafael, can you stop that, please? It's distracting."

Rafael blinked and looked up at Max curiously. "Huh? Stop what, hermano?"

"Stop drumming your fingers," Max replied, nodding his head towards his brother's hand.

"Oh, sorry, Max." Rafael folded his fingers underneath the palm of his hand. Max nodded his head and returned his attention back to his book. He tried to find the paragraph that he was reading.

Rafael looked up at his little brother and held back a sigh. He was just so bored. Although he liked reading, it wasn't something that he enjoyed all the time. He would rather listen to some music, or practice with his weapons in the training room.

Shifting in his seat in a bid to ease the numbness making its way up his legs, Rafael suddenly felt the folded piece of paper in his trouser pocket lightly scratch against the skin of his waist. Rafael suddenly tensed, glancing at Max before he slipped it out and unfolded it in his lap.

Staring at the paper, Rafael felt a jumble of conflicting feelings as he read the words at the top of the page, printed in bold, capital letters:

 **APPLICATION FOR TRANSFERRAL TO A FOREIGN INSTITUTE**

 _Name: Rafael Santiago Lightwood-Bane_

Rafael swallowed nervously as he remembered when his Uncle Jace had led him into his office to find his father, Alec, standing next to his parabatai's desk with his arms crossed in front of his broad chest. He remembered wondering at the time whether he was going to be scolded for something he had done wrong.

"Have a seat, Rafe," Alec said seriously as Jace sat down in his chair and fixed Rafael with a stare. Rafael held his breath as he sat down, glancing between his father and his uncle in apprehension.

"Am I in trouble?" Rafael asked quietly. Better to get the question out of the way, he thought.

"It depends on your next answer really, Rafael," Jace replied with a raised eyebrow. "Is there something you wish to tell us that you think might get you in trouble?"

Rafael flushed and sat up straighter in his seat. "Look, the trebuchet was already broken before Evie, Max and I even got there. So whatever Bernard has been saying—"

Jace held up his hands in a calming gesture. "We already know the trebuchet is broken. It has been for years…" Jace snorted as he shared a smirk with Alec. Rafael watched with surprise as a mischievous look appeared in his father's eyes. Jace opened a drawer in his desk and took out a piece of paper, sliding it across the desk towards Rafael.

Rafael stared at the paper in confusion before Alec stepped forward and reached out his hand, grasping Rafael's shoulder gently. "Rafe, it's okay. I know you've been wondering about Buenos Aires."

Rafael stared at his father in shock. "How did you know? I haven't even told Max or Papa."

Alec gave him a look and smiled. "You're my son, Rafael. I can tell when something is bothering you."

Jace gestured to the piece of paper on his desk. "This is an application for you to observe how another Institute is run in a different country. We could arrange for you to visit Buenos Aires for a year if you want to go."

Rafael looked up at his father, feeling a hint of worry in his chest. "What about Max? What about you and Papa? I can't just go to another country for a whole year."

Alec frowned before he took a seat next to his son. "I've spoken to your papa, and he's happy for you to go on the condition that you keep in contact. And I'm sure your brother will understand once you tell him."

"But…"

"You don't have to decide anything now. The deadline for the application is in a month. Just think on it." Alec patted Rafael's shoulder as he picked up the form on the desk and gave it to his son. Rafael stared at it nervously, biting his lip in thought before folding it up and sliding it into his pocket.

Holding the form in his hand now, Rafael let out a quiet breath. He has been carrying the form around in his pocket for three weeks now, trying to decide whether he was brave enough to go back to Buenos Aires on his own.

"Hey, guys!"

Rafael jumped in surprise, hastily stuffing the form back in his pocket as Evie appeared at his side, hopping onto the table with a grin on her face. Rafael liked Evie's smile. It was a kind of smile that lit up her face and made Rafael's chest squirm pleasantly like he was possessed with butterflies.

Evie was almost buzzing with excitement, swinging her legs idly like a child would when sat on a high up surface. "You'll never guess what I've just heard."

"Don't tell me. You've finally figured out that Hobbits aren't real," Max suggested as he closed his book and made his way over to them. Evie gave Max a withering look.

"Ha, ha, you're so funny, Max. My sides are splitting," she replied with a roll of her eyes. Rafael leaned back in his chair as Max sat down in the chair next to him. "No. Bernard has been bragging that he's found his parabatai."

Rafael let out a snort. "Bernard? Who would be his parabatai?"

Evie pursed her lips. "Alright, I know he can be a bit of an ass at times—"

"You mean all the time," Max interrupted, raising his eyebrow at her.

"Maybe, but don't you think that's wonderful? It's not every day that someone finds their parabatai," Evie continued as a small smile appeared on her face. "I'd love to have a parabatai. At least you know then that someone has your back, right?"

"I suppose it would be nice, yeah," Rafael said thoughtfully. He had often thought of looking for a parabatai, but whenever he thought about who he would ask his mind would go blank.

Evie brushed a lock of her brown hair behind her ear and looked at them both curiously. "If you guys could pick someone as your parabatai, who would you choose?"

Max shrugged. "Well, I'm a warlock so there's no point asking me."

"I know, but if you were a Shadowhunter, who would you choose?" Evie turned to Max with an interested look on her face. Rafael followed her gaze to his little brother curiously.

A crease appeared on Max's brow as he looked down at his hands thoughtfully. "I…I don't know who I would choose. I've never really thought about it. What about you, Evie?"

Evie grinned at them both and sat up straighter. "I would pick one of you two, of course. You guys are my only friends."

Rafael felt his eyebrows rise in surprise. "Really? What about that girl you sit next to in class? Rosie or Rosa…?"

"You mean Rosalyn? No, she's okay I guess, but we mostly just talk about training." Evie gave a half shrug. "I think she has an obsession with your Aunt Isabelle by the way."

"Who wouldn't?"

Rafael turned around in his seat. Standing in a tight red dress and a pair of matching seven-inch heels was his Aunt Isabelle. She smiled brightly at them all as she fiddled with the clasp of her ruby necklace. Her long dark hair fell in thick, lustrous waves down her back. Rafael faintly heard Evie whistle with approval at his aunt's appearance.

"Wow, Mrs L, you look incredible." Evie exclaimed as Isabelle entered the room, her heels click-clacking on the wooden floorboards. Her signature whip was clasped as a snakelike bracelet around her wrist and was glinting brightly in the fading orange light coming in from the windows.

Isabelle smoothed out her dress and picked at some invisible lint on the hem. "Thank you. It's date night tonight, so my husband and I are going to the movies."

Evie frowned in confusion. "Aren't you a bit overdressed for the movies?"

Isabelle raised an eyebrow at her and laughed. "Oh sweetheart, this dress isn't just for the movies if you know what I mean."

Rafael cleared his throat in embarrassment whilst Max clapped his hands over his ears, a bright violet flush creeping up his cheeks. "Tía Izzy, we didn't need to know that."

Isabelle rolled her eyes and chuckled quietly. "There's no need to be embarrassed, boys."

"But you're our aunt, it's weird." Max grumbled as he squirmed uncomfortably in his seat.

Isabelle raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at Max. "Don't go pulling the family card on me, Max. I know for a fact that your parents–"

"By the Angel, stop talking!"

Rafael watched his aunt purse her lips and huff in annoyance, crossing her arms in front of her. "Speaking of your parents, your dad asked me to escort you home, but seeing as I'm busy getting ready for my date, I've arranged a portal for you." She turned to Evie with a smile. "He also said that you're invited for dinner as well by the way."

"Cool! I'll just go text my mother to let her know where I'll be." Evie hopped off the table and darted out of the room excitedly, her head bent as she hastily pulled out her phone from the back pocket of her jeans. Rafael couldn't help but notice a lock of her hair fall into her eyes as she went.

He didn't realise how long he had been staring after Evie until Max cleared his throat. Rafael hastily turned around, his face warm with embarrassment as he caught his Aunt Isabelle smirking and sharing a knowing look with Max.

"What?" Rafael demanded stiffly, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Nothing," Isabelle replied innocently with a smile. "Come on now, let's get you boys home."

* * *

As soon as Rafael opened the door to their apartment, he immediately wished he had left it closed for a few minutes longer.

Pacing irritably back and forth was their papa Magnus, who was currently dressed in his most vibrantly colourful outfit to date. Magnus wore a bright neon green silk shirt, over a lemon yellow mesh vest, and a pair of ripped, white skinny jeans. Wrapped around his slim waist was a silver studded belt with a sparkling "M" buckle which glinted brightly to match the glitter underneath his gold-green cats' eyes. Although Rafael and Max knew that their papa had a penchant for glitter and bright colours, it still came as a bit of a shock at times whenever they came home and he was still with a client.

"I don't care if the laws are different in Scotland. No one is permitted to have one of those damn creatures here in New York. They're on the banned list for a reason, Percival."

"But she's only a wee'un, Magnus. She's not even grown her fangs yet, see!" replied Percival, a tall barrel-chested man with thick bright red hair and a strong Scottish accent, holding up a glistening green snake in his hands.

Magnus narrowed his eyes in disgust at the snake and took a step back as the snake hissed in his face. "Get that thing out of my face right now if you know what's good for you." Magnus glowered darkly at Percival. Percival lowered the snake and gave Magnus a look as if he had just been told that his puppy had died.

Rafael heard Max let out a gasp as he stepped forward with a wide smile, reaching up to stroke the snake's head with the back of his fingers. "Cool Basilisk! Where did you get him?"

Magnus blinked at Max in surprise as the two men stared at their new guests. Whilst Evie slowly shut the door behind them, Rafael shook his hand in a little wave. "Hola, Papa."

"Hey, Rafe." Magnus waved back before he stared at Max in alarm as the snake began to weave around his wrists. "Max, be careful with that thing."

"I'm okay, Papa. He's being really gentle." Max replied calmly as he peered closely at the snake.

"That one's a girl actually. Her name is Morag." Percival beamed proudly.

Max shook his head. "No, he's definitely a boy. Look at his markings. I read about them in one of Papa's bestiaries last year. I have a good memory."

Percival frowned. Magnus clapped his hands together suddenly as he turned to his guest. "Well, that settles it then. If you can't even tell the difference between genders, then there is definitely no reason for you to be carrying this creature around in your pocket. It needs to get out of New York tonight."

"Very well," grumbled Percival as he took the snake back and deposited the creature in one of his coat pockets.

Magnus waved his hands and a portal appeared in the middle of the living room. Percival trudged towards it and stepped through it with barely a wave goodbye as it collapsed behind him with a pop. Magnus let out a long sigh, his long fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "Sorry about that, boys. Percival is one of the difficult ones."

"We get it, Papa," Rafael said as he walked over and pulled Magnus into a warm hug. Magnus smiled fondly as he hugged his son back before they each broke away. "Dad's running late at the Institute by the way. He says he should be home by eight though."

"Your father is never on time for dinner, Rafael. I'm used to it by now." Magnus stroked his son's hair and kissed the top of his head lovingly. He took a step back a moment later with a smile. "Boys, you two can set the table – Max, make sure you wash your hands first though. I'll serve up the food for when your father gets home."

"Is there anything I can do to help, Mr Bane?" Evie asked lightly as she stood awkwardly by the door. Magnus looked up with a smile.

"Hello, Pumpkin, come here." Magnus waved her over and lightly kissed both of her cheeks. "You can help me with buttering some bread in the kitchen."

Rafael watched as Magnus and Evie headed into the kitchen, both of them talking animatedly as Evie tied back her hair into a messy bun, whilst he carefully set the table with his brother.

"Are you okay, Rafe? You've been quiet all day," Max murmured as he brushed away one of Chairman Meow's stray hairs from the tablecloth.

"Of course, hermano. Why wouldn't I be?" Rafael murmured back, tearing his eyes away from the conversation in the kitchen.

"I don't know. It's just odd that you haven't bothered to try and annoy me all day. It makes me wonder if you're planning something." Max snapped his fingers and a stack of plates appeared on the table alongside a set of cutlery.

Rafael felt his stomach tense with anxious knots as he thought about the transferral form in his pocket. He swallowed thickly. "I've just…I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

Max stopped and looked up at Rafael with concern. "You can tell me if there's something bothering you. Or if there is some big secret you think you can't tell our parents."

"I know, hermano," Rafael nodded. He took a deep breath and stared at Max, his mouth forming a tight line. "There is something I need to tell you, but I'm just figuring out how to say it right."

A crease appeared on Max's brow for a moment before he suddenly gasped. "Oh! This is about Evie, isn't it? Is it something to do with that parabatai conversation earlier?"

Rafael felt his eyes go wide and held his hands up in a calming gesture. "Hold up Max, this isn't about–"

Max continued to talk excitedly, his fingers buzzing with light blue magic. "Wait… Are you going to ask her to be your parabatai?"

"Max, this isn't about Evie!" He exclaimed a little louder than he would have liked. He cautiously glanced towards the kitchen where his papa and Evie were still talking. They were smiling widely as Magnus struggled to uncork a stubborn wine bottle. It appeared that they hadn't heard anything. He let out a small breath and turned back to Max who stared at him with a frown. "I just – I…I don't want to talk about it right now, Max."

He sighed in frustration as he picked up the stack of plates at the end of the table, placing one in front of each seat whilst Max followed him round with the cutlery. Max placed his hand on the side of Rafael's arm gently. "Rafe, what's going on?"

Before Rafael could come up with an answer, the front door slammed open as Alec stumbled in clutching his side and limping. A small trickle of blood dripped from a scratch on the side of his head, the skin surrounding the wound was dark and swollen. His gear was torn to shreds and covered in blood.

"Dad!" Max exclaimed in alarm as Alec closed the door and slumped against it tiredly with a groan. Rafael sprinted to Alec and helped him stand, letting his dad lean heavily against him. Max appeared on Alec's other side, sharing the weight between both of them, and worriedly looked up at Alec. "Dad, are you okay? What happened?"

Alec opened his mouth to speak but then suddenly gasped in pain, his left leg giving out beneath him. Rafael let out a breath as he struggled to keep his father upright. "Papa! Papa, Dad's hurt!" Rafael called out and glanced towards the kitchen.

Magnus and Evie hurried into the room at the sound of the commotion. Upon seeing his husband in such a state, Magnus' mouth formed a grim expression. "Put him on the couch. Quickly, boys."

Rafael nodded as he and his brother staggered into the living room and gently deposited Alec on the couch, wincing when he let out a groan of pain and clutched his side. Magnus knelt down beside him with a frown, his cats' eyes bright with worry. "What happened, Alexander?"

"I'm okay, Mags. It's just a few scratches." Alec gasped as he tried to sit up.

"These seem pretty deep, Dad," Max said worriedly as he examined the bleeding wound on Alec's side. "Was it a demon?"

Alec shook his head and turned to Magnus. "It was a werewolf."

Magnus and Alec shared a grim look between them which left Rafael suspicious. "A werewolf?" he demanded as he checked over Alec's leg in concern. "Was it one from Maia's pack?"

"No, I didn't recognise him. He must have been a lone werewolf." Alec let out another groan, this one more painful than before. He patted the pockets of his gear with a frown. "Where's my stele? Magnus, I can't find it."

"Use mine, Mr Lightwood." Evie held out her stele from where she stood at the side of the sofa. "Do you need a first aid kit? I could get some water to clean your wounds or something."

Alec took it with a grateful smile, his hand trembling unsteadily. Rafael leapt up onto the sofa taking the stele from him. Rafael looked up at Evie. "Water would be great. And some towels. There should be some in the bathroom."

Evie nodded and sprinted out of the room with a determined look on her face. Rafael turned back to his task, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves as he drew an iratze on Alec's shoulder. Max growled in frustration as he shook out his hands, snapping his fingers repeatedly. Tiny wisps of magic fizzled and died away on his blood soaked fingertips. He looked up at Magnus. "Papa, I need your help with this wound. My magic isn't working properly."

"It's okay. Just try to calm down and it will work." Magnus instructed as he shuffled around, waving his hands over Alec's side and sending sparkling blue flames of magic all over the injury.

Alec sighed in relief and reached out to touch the side of Max's head, stroking his unruly, dark blue hair gently. "It's okay, Max. I'm going to be alright." he said comfortingly.

Before Max could reply, Evie returned with a bowl of water and a stack of towels. She placed them on the couch beside Rafael and immediately started cleaning the wound on Alec's head. Rafael glanced at her face and saw her biting her bottom lip in concentration. He suddenly felt a wave of relief and gratitude hit his chest as he watched her, wishing that he could just hug her tightly. He blinked and shook his head, checking over his dad for any more injuries. "Why would a werewolf attack you? Don't they know about the Accords?"

Alec lifted one of his shoulders in a half shrug. "I don't know. He could have been recently turned or he might just not care. I'll send Maia a fire message when I'm healed to let her know to keep an eye out for him."

"You mean he got away?" Evie demanded. "He just attacked you and ran away? Why would he do that?"

"I don't think he was in the right frame of mind." Rafael watched as Alec shared another look with Magnus. He glanced between them with suspicion.

"You're lying." he said loudly, causing everyone in the room to look at him in surprise.

Magnus turned to Rafael and gave him a stern look. "Now is not the time, Rafe."

"What's going on? What aren't you telling us?" he demanded hotly. Max and Evie turned to look at his parents. Rafael continued, "Is something happening in the Downworld that you're not telling us? Are we in danger?"

"You don't need to concern yourself with this. We're handling it." Magnus gestured between himself and Alec, who nodded in agreement.

"But what if something happens–"

"We're handling it." Magnus interrupted with a note of finality.

Rafael fell silent, clenching his fists in frustration. He was almost eighteen years old, he was almost an adult, but it still felt like his parents treated him like a child. Deep down, he knew they were just trying to protect him as well as Max, and Rafael appreciated it, he honestly did. Even though he had had a good upbringing since he was adopted, there were still times when he was would wake up during the night from nightmares of his time on the streets in Buenos Aires.

It wasn't long before Alec's wounds healed to the point where only bruises and faint scars remained behind. Magnus sighed tiredly as he knelt on the floor before he leaned up and pressed a kiss to Alec's forehead. Max, Rafael and Evie tidied up around them. "Right," Magnus announced in a cheerful tone. "Let's have something to eat before the food goes cold."

"You mean you _actually_ cooked this time? No takeout?" Alec chuckled quietly as he stood up from the couch, swaying only slightly before he straightened up and walked over to the dining table and sat down.

"Of course I cooked. I'm not completely incompetent when it comes to the kitchen." Magnus rolled his eyes as he waved his hand. A large steaming pot appeared on the table and filled the room with smells of Italian food. Rafael, Max and Evie made a beeline for the table, their stomachs rumbling loudly as they took their seats. Magnus stood at the head of the table, Alec sat to his left and Rafael to his right, and began dishing out meals with a proud smile on his face. "I hope you're all hungry. I think I made too much."

"This looks lovely, Mr Bane," Evie said as she took her seat next to Rafael, opposite Max who was furtively glancing at Alec as if checking that he was still okay.

"Thank you, Evie. And for the last time, call me Magnus." He held out his hand and gestured for her plate.

As Evie picked up her plate and passed it to Magnus, her arm lightly brushed against Rafael's shoulder. He held his breath as he felt his body tense up, his heart beating loudly in his chest. He could smell the scent of Evie's shampoo – wild roses and vanilla – which made his head swim. He had never smelt her hair before, but he thought that it was quite a pleasant scent.

"Rafe? Are you going to pass me your plate or not?" he heard his papa ask him with a raised eyebrow. Rafael flushed as he picked up his plate and passed it to his papa. He caught Max smirking at him as he looked at Evie and then back to him. Rafael glared at him quietly and took back his plate.

"So, how was your day, boys?" Magnus asked as he sat down and picked up his knife and fork. Alec poured a glass of wine for Magnus and himself before tucking hungrily into his food.

Max shrugged. "It was okay. Evie has been going on and on about Bernard all the way home." Rafael smiled as he caught Evie rolling her eyes whilst Max smirked at her.

"Bernard? Isn't he the kid you don't get on with?" Alec asked with a raised eyebrow, his fork full of pasta paused in midair.

Rafael nodded, lifting his fork to his mouth and taking a bite of pasta. "Yeah, that's him. He's found his parabatai apparently."

Magnus raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Well, that's…good for him, I suppose."

"It's more than good." Evie sat up in her seat, looking up at everyone around the table. "When someone finds their parabatai, it's almost like a miracle."

Alec nodded quietly with a wistful smile. "That is true. I can't even imagine what my life would be like without Jace."

Evie turned to Alec with a questioning look on her face. "Mr Lightwood – I mean, _Alec_ ," She added sheepishly when Alec gave her a look. It wasn't the first time he and Magnus had had to tell her to drop the formalities. "How did you know that Jace would be your parabatai?"

"Well, I asked him and he said yes, Evie." Alec chuckled as he sipped his wine.

Rafael snorted as he spotted Evie's face growing pink with embarrassment. Max grinned as he shovelled another forkful of pasta into his mouth whilst Magnus watched the conversation with a fond smile, his bright gold-green cats eyes filled with amusement.

"I meant, like, _why_ did you pick Jace? Why not ask your sister?" she asked curiously, taking a sip of water from her glass. Rafael suspected that she was taking a moment to hide behind her glass until her embarrassment was forgotten.

A quiet hush befell the table as a thoughtful look appeared on Alec's face. Rafael and Max watched their dad, curious themselves as to how Alec and Jace had become parabatai. Ever since they were adopted, they had always known two facts about their Dad: he was fiercely protective and loving towards his family and their papa, and that he and their uncle Jace were nearly inseparable. Rafael faintly remembered an old mundane saying that they were like 'two sides of the same coin'. Wherever their dad went, their uncle would follow and vice versa.

Alec sat up and shared a look with Magnus, who nodded and took a sip of his wine. Alec smiled warmly, taking Magnus' hand in his own and giving it a squeeze. Magnus smiled back.

"Well, there were many reasons why I asked Jace to be my parabatai," Alec said in a calm, almost diplomatic tone. "One, Isabelle didn't want a parabatai, which I was fine with. We decided that we didn't need to be parabatai to protect each other with our lives. She's my little sister. It was my duty to protect her as her big brother anyway. It still is, to tell the truth."

"Just like I would protect Rafael and he would protect me if we were in danger," Max said, looking up at Alec with a crease on his brow.

Alec nodded. "Exactly, just like your papa and I would protect you both because we're your parents." He raised his hand and gently ruffled Max's hair with a smirk. Max rolled his eyes but didn't move to smooth out his hair. Alec continued, "Jace was different. He had suddenly just appeared in our lives all alone without anyone to look out for him, and I thought to myself, I can protect him. He needs me, you know?"

Magnus smiled with a shake of his head. "Ever the protector, my Alexander is."

"I can't help it. It's part of who I am." Alec shrugged as he took another bite of his food. "And I may have had a little crush on him already at the time."

Rafael choked on his drink, coughing and spluttering as he stared at his dad in surprise. "Y-you had a crush on Uncle Jace?"

Max, Rafael and Evie gaped at Alec in shock as a bright red flush crept up his neck. "I was young and there weren't exactly any other guys around my age whilst I was growing up." he mumbled, flippantly waving his hand. Rafael heard a quiet chuckle coming from his papa, his mouth hiding conspicuously behind his hand as he watched Alec with adoring eyes. "But anyway, I chose Jace because he is my best friend. He is my brother even if we aren't related by blood. We were raised together."

"But you could basically choose anyone?" Max said with a deep frown on his face.

Alec shook his head. "No, Max, you don't just pick anyone. Once bonded, your parabatai becomes part of you. You share a part of each other's soul in a sense. You're stronger, you're faster, you move together as if you were the same warrior. If you just picked anyone, you could end up resenting them. The bond would turn toxic. It's the same if you fall in love with each other."

Rafael frowned. "But you just said you had a crush on Uncle Jace. Why didn't it damage your bond?"

"Jace only ever saw me as his brother. My feelings weren't reciprocated in the way I wanted them to be at the time, which worked out just fine in the end. Jace has Clary, and I have your papa. Everyone's happy." Alec finished and turned to Magnus, leaning across and kissing his lips sweetly.

Rafael glanced at Evie out of the corner of his eye and found her staring at his parents with a smile on her face. It wasn't the first time that he had seen her watching his parents whenever they were together. It was odd at first. To Rafael, seeing his parents kiss was nothing strange. But he guessed that for someone who didn't have two parents who were as open in their affections as his own, it would be quite shocking.

Magnus returned his gaze to Evie with a raised eyebrow. "Why are you so curious about Parabatai, Pumpkin? Do you have someone in mind?"

Evie flushed as she took a sip of her water. "Possibly, I haven't asked them yet. I'm not sure how they would react."

Rafael stared at her with wide eyes, suddenly feeling his chest tighten uncomfortably. "Who? Do we know them?"

"Yeah, I thought we were your only friends." Max added with a raised eyebrow.

Evie rolled her eyes. "You guys aren't the only people I talk to, you know." A loud buzzing noise sounded in the room and Evie jumped in surprise, patting the pockets of her jeans for her phone. She slipped it out of her pocket and stared at it with a frown. "Sorry, um, is there somewhere I can take this? It's my aunt."

"Of course, go ahead." Magnus gestured to the hallway that led towards the bedrooms.

Evie pushed back her chair and stood up, only to let out a sudden scream. Rafael leapt up from his chair, sending it crashing backwards onto the floor and pushed Evie behind him protectively, feeling her fingers shakily clutching the back of his shirt. Max ducked under the table to see what had spooked Evie and suddenly let out a gasp. "Cool! Papa, can we keep him?"

"What on earth–" Alec started, staring around at everyone in confusion but then falling silent as Max reappeared from underneath the table. A huge black python slid around his shoulders and waist, flicking out his tongue idly whilst Max beamed with excitement.

Magnus slammed his fork down on the table in annoyance. "By Lilith, I'm going to kill that warlock!"

Max shrugged his shoulders as he gently stroked the python's head with his fingertips. "I'll call him Monty. Don't you think he looks like a Monty, Rafe?"

" _Monty the Python_...? Are you kidding me, hermano?" Rafael gaped at Max, not sure whether to burst out laughing. "You've been hanging out with Uncle Simon too long."

"I really hate snakes." Evie whimpered shakily from behind Rafael, her breath lightly tickling the back of his neck. Rafael glanced back over his shoulder at her, noting her brown eyes were wide with fear as she stared warily at the python.

"Let's just move to the hallway, yeah?" Rafael said calmly as they carefully backed out of the room. Evie nodded hastily, her hands tightening her grip on his shirt.

As soon as the python was out of sight, Evie let out a slow sigh of relief and her head dropped against Rafael's shoulder blade. Rafael tensed, swallowing nervously as his chest filled with butterflies again. A crease formed on his brow as he turned around and looked at Evie. "You okay now?"

"If Max is keeping that thing, you can be sure I am never coming round again." she said with a shaky laugh. "That thing looks big enough to eat Chairman Meow whole."

"Yeah, and the Chairman has put on a lot of weight recently." Rafael added, his face splitting into a grin despite the topic of conversation. Evie giggled and ran a hand through her hair, shaking it free from her messy bun and letting it fall down her back. Rafael caught the smell of her shampoo again, and it made him pleasantly dizzy.

Rafael suddenly felt a buzz near his hand as Evie's phone vibrated once again in her jeans' pocket. He suddenly realised that his hands were lightly resting against Evie's hips and he stepped back, clenching his hands into fists and willing the blush on his cheeks to go away.

As Evie turned around to answer her phone, Rafael frowned at his hands. How could he not have realised that he was standing so close to Evie? Surely, he would be making her uncomfortable. He didn't want to give her the wrong impression, especially considering he knew she had had a crush on him a while ago. Rafael and Evie were just friends. That was all they were ever going to be. Rafael glanced at Evie with a thoughtful look. She didn't look uncomfortable around him…

Evie hung up and let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I've got to go. Mother's been drinking again, and she's upset that I'm not there."

"I'll walk you home. I'll just let my parents know where we're going." he said before heading back into the living room.

He spotted Max sitting on the sofa with a pout, holding Monty the Python in his arms whilst his papa yelled at his phone. "You come back here right now and collect your damn snake, Percival! No, leave the Basilisk at home…Seriously, I will hex you if you even _think_ –"

Rafael shook his head and turned to his dad, who was still sat at the dining table, sipping his wine tiredly. "Dad, Evie's got to go. I said I'll walk her home."

Alec looked at him worriedly. "We could portal her home if she wants. It's not really safe at the moment."

"I can look after her. If you're that worried, I'll send you a text when she's home and I could get a portal home," Rafael suggested. Alec bit his lip in thought, and Rafael could see that he was debating whether to let him go. He touched the form in his pocket and lowered his voice. "Besides, I should really tell her about Buenos Aires as well. She deserves to know too."

Alec sat up with interest. "So you want to go then?"

"I'm still thinking on it. Maybe," Rafael replied as he furtively glanced over his shoulder at Max and found his little brother's attention still occupied by Monty. "I still haven't found the right time to tell Max yet."

Alec nodded. "Okay, just make sure you decide soon. You haven't got a lot of time now to get the application in if you still want to go. The form has to be in before your eighteenth birthday."

"I know, Dad. I'll…I'll tell him when I get back."

"Good," Alec leaned up and kissed his forehead with a smile. "Be safe. Text me as soon as she's home okay."

Rafael nodded and walked to the front door, shrugging on his coat and grabbing his keys. He spotted Evie cautiously making her way towards him, giving Monty a wide berth as she went and then dashed out of the door, calling out a goodbye to his parents over her shoulder.

* * *

"Mother's always had a problem with drinking. Ever since Dad died according to my aunt," Evie said quietly as they walked side by side, crossing over the Williamsburg Bridge towards Queens. "She's been drinking more and more these days. I don't think she even goes on patrols anymore because of it."

"It's okay. You don't need to explain, Evie." Rafael replied, kicking a stone into the road. He could faintly hear the sound of an underground train travelling through a tunnel as they walked, but he didn't remember going past any subways.

"I know, but I feel like I need to. I don't want you to think badly of her."

"I don't. We've all got our issues, Evie." Rafael shrugged easily. "You don't like snakes. Your mama has a drinking problem. My dad doesn't like umbrellas, god knows why. We're all different in our own way."

"That's not the same, though." she said quietly. "A drinking problem isn't the same as having a fear of snakes."

"True, but I suppose if you battle demons all the time it's bound to be stressful. She's just coping the best way she can. Not everyone is cut out for this kind of life."

"But she's got no choice now. She gave up her mundane life when she met Dad. How could she ever go back, knowing all she knows now?"

A pregnant silence filled the air between them as they walked. Rafael thought about what it would be like to be a mundane, to go about his daily life without having to worry about demons trying to destroy the world. He tried to picture his family as mundanes in his mind, his parents and Max standing in the middle of the loft with smiles on their faces as Chairman Meow stretched out by their feet, but the picture seemed odd.

"Rafe, are you okay? You kind of zoned out there for a minute." Evie waved a hand in front of his face, and he shook his head out of his thoughts.

"I was just thinking about what it would be like to be a mundane. I can't really picture it," he replied with a bemused expression on his face.

Evie nodded in agreement, a pensive look on her face. "I know what you mean. Whenever I try to picture a life without you guys in it…I get upset, you know?"

Rafael reached out and squeezed her hand comfortingly. She gave him a small smile. "I can't imagine not having my family around me. Max never fails to make me laugh."

"Do you remember that time when he went crazy about those pancakes? I've never seen him move so fast in my life!" She giggled loudly as Rafael shook his head with a grin.

"Or when he tried making a portal to the Institute and ended up upside down in a dumpster in Costa Rica." Rafael remembered getting a phone call from a very sheepish Max around ten minutes after he disappeared, begging him not to tell their papa what had happened to him.

Evie scrunched up her nose at the memory as they turned a corner onto her street. "By the Angel, I couldn't go near him for a week without puking!"

"I think Papa was tempted to make him sleep in the hallway by the front door that night." He chuckled with a shake of his head.

As they reached the front gate to Evie's garden, Rafael noticed that Evie had stopped beside him, chewing her bottom lip in thought as she stared up at her house. He wondered what she was thinking about. He wondered whether he should say something just to fill the awkward silence that had somehow filled the space between them without them noticing. He needed to tell her about the transferral form anyway, so why not now?

Rafael opened his mouth to speak, his hand reaching into his pocket and clasping around the form, when Evie suddenly turned to him and took a deep breath. "Rafe, can we just sit here for a moment? I need to ask you something important."

Rafael blinked and nodded his head, his hand dropping the piece of paper in his pocket before he sat down beside her on the sidewalk. He watched her breathe in another shaky breath. Her whole body was buzzing with anxiety which made Rafael feel nervous too. She turned to Rafael, looking at him with wide eyes, and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear with a trembling hand. He watched her bite her lip which was already pink and starting to swell.

She blinked and shook herself out of her thoughts. "Okay, I'm just going to come out with it," she said in a brave tone of voice. "Rafe, will you be my parabatai?"

The world around him seemed to pause as Rafael stared at her in silence, taking in but not entirely registering what she had asked him. It was like he had been struck dumb. He couldn't figure out how to speak or even what to say. He just simply stared at her like an idiot and watched as the blood drained from her face. "Well…say something, Rafe. Don't leave me hanging here," she demanded, swallowing thickly against the bile rising in her throat.

Rafael felt like he was struck with déjà vu, as he remembered the moment when she had asked him out a couple of years ago. He had said no to her because he had been going through so many issues at the time that he felt that he didn't want to burden her with his problems. As he stared at her now, his chest was filled with a cold feeling of dread as he already knew what his answer would be.

"Evie," he said slowly as he took her hands in his own and squeezed them gently. "I'm really sorry but I can't."

He didn't want to look at her face, but he forced himself to as he watched her eyes well up with tears. "Why not? Is it because I had a crush on you? You heard what your dad said, we can work around that."

"No, it isn't because of that." He sighed. "Evie, I already have a parabatai." The words were already out of his mouth before he could properly think about what they meant.

Evie stared at him in shock. "What? Who is it?"

Rafael paused in thought for a moment, a blurry image of his parabatai slowly sharpening into focus in his mind, before he felt his mouth split into a grin. "Max."

He wondered how he didn't realise it sooner. For the past three weeks since he had been carrying the transferral form in his pocket, the only thing he had been worrying about was telling Max about it. He wanted to laugh at how stupid he had been.

Evie didn't appear to find the situation funny. There was a deep frown on her face as she stared at him. "Rafe, no offence to Max or anything but…you know he's a warlock, right? You know he can't bear the parabatai rune – or any rune – without it killing him. So how can he be your parabatai?"

"We don't need a rune," Rafael said confidently. "Look, Evie, Max has always been there for me, ever since I was adopted. He's my hermano. He is my best friend in the entire world. I'd do anything for him."

Evie still stared at him quietly. Her mouth had formed a tight line. Rafael sighed and fished out the form from his pocket, unfolding it carefully in his lap before he passed it to her. A crease appeared on her brow as she looked down at it, glancing up at him in confusion a moment later. "Rafe, what is this?"

"I want to go back to Buenos Aires. Not for long, just for a year. This is an application form that will enable me to see how an Institute is run in another country," he explained as he watched her stare at the form.

"I don't get it. Don't you like it here?"

"Of course I do. This is my home." Rafael reached out and touched her hand. She looked up at him, and he found himself staring at her brown eyes. "I've been thinking about my parents – my birth parents, that is. I want to know what happened to them, how I ended up on the streets. I want to know who they were, whether they were good people or…I don't know. The only way I can do that is by going back there and finding out more about them from the locals."

"Have you told Max about this?" she asked, gesturing to the form in her hand.

He slowly shook his head, trying to push down the guilty feeling that was threatening to rise up in his chest. "I've been trying to find a way to tell him, but I just can't think of the right words. Max doesn't remember his birth mother, nor does he want to remember her. I don't think he'd understand why I want to do this."

"I think he would. Max isn't unreasonable. You're his family. He would want what's best for you." Rafael watched as she gave the form back to him before moving her gaze to their hands. He only just remembered that he was still holding her hand, which was warm and soft compared to his own. Over the many years of doing archery, the skin on his fingers had toughened and become rough. A crease appeared on his brow as he glanced at her in concern.

"What about you? Are you okay with this?" he asked. He felt his stomach clench with nervousness as he waited for her reply. He hadn't realised how worried he was about telling her until now and he wondered why.

It wasn't as if he was in love with her. She was like a sister to him. No, wait, that wasn't right. Evie was one of his best friends. He cared about what she thought of him, just like he cared about what Max thought of him. But the thought of having Evie as his sister made him feel oddly sick. But it shouldn't make him feel sick because what else could she be to him? Sure, he did think that she was pretty, but most of the women he knows are pretty. But that didn't mean that he had feelings for her, did it…?

He shook away his confusing thoughts and waited for her reply. She shrugged her shoulders. "What does it have to do with me? If you feel like you need to do this, then do it. You can't let anyone try to stop you."

"So you're not angry with me about turning you down again?"

"Well, I will admit, I am a little hurt. But I understand. Max will always come first, he's your family," she said as a little smile appeared on her face. "I actually think it's quite sweet. I wish I had someone like that."

"You do. You've got us. Come on, Evie, just because I picked Max as my parabatai, doesn't mean I don't care about you just as much as him. Besides, I think if we weren't friends, Papa would probably ground me until we'd made up."

Rafael watched as Evie's mouth started to twitch into a smile, as if she was trying not to make an embarrassing grin. "You care about me? Really?"

"Yes, of course I do."

Evie gave him a bright smile, and Rafael felt as if his chest was about to explode with warmth. He thought back to when he had watched her tend to his dad's wounds earlier, and he suddenly remembered he still had her stele. He slipped his hand into the pocket of his sweatshirt and held it out to Evie. "Here, I forgot to give this back to you. Thanks for helping with Dad earlier."

"It's okay. I really like your parents, they're awesome." She took her stele and stood up, Rafael following close behind, and slipped it into her pocket. "They're kind of what I imagine my dad might have been like if he was alive."

The sound of a door opening made them jump in surprise as a tall woman with long brown hair appeared in the doorway of Evie's home. "Evangeline, what are you still doing out here? Come inside."

"I'm coming, Aunty. I'm just saying goodbye," Evie called out to her. Rafael watched as the woman pursed her lips at them before she closed the door and disappeared. Evie sighed. "I should go. Thanks for walking me home."

"No problem."

Evie stepped towards him, rising up onto her tiptoes and pressing a chaste kiss on Rafael's cheek. Rafael froze in shock, feeling as if he had just been set alight with heavenly fire. He wanted to pull her into a hug just so that he didn't have to let go of this weird feeling coursing through his veins. He wondered if she could hear his heart hammering in his chest like a restless bird wanting to take flight. She pulled away, stepping down from her tiptoes and shyly smiling at him. "Tell Max about the form before it's too late. I'll see you tomorrow, Rafe."

"Adios," he mumbled as she walked up her garden path and disappeared inside her home.

Rafael let out a long breath as he felt his heart slowing down. He took out his phone and sent a text to his dad, letting him know that he was ready to come home. Now, it was time for the hard part.

Now, he needed to tell Max about the form.

* * *

Rafael opened the door to his bedroom to find his little brother sulking on his bed, his chin resting on his folded arms and his white horns shining dimly in the pale light of the room, and felt his mouth form a half smile. "I see you didn't get to keep Monty, eh? That's too bad. I think he would have been good company."

Max looked up at him and let out an exasperated sigh. "I know, right? I told Papa and Dad that I'd take good care of him, but they wouldn't listen. It's so unfair."

"It's probably for the best, hermano," he said as he walked over and sat on the end of Max's bed. Rafael watched his little brother sit up reluctantly, placing his bare blue feet on the carpet. He bumped his shoulder gently against Max's and offered him a smile. "Cheer up, Max. It's not the end of the world. Well, hopefully not."

Max rolled his eyes. "Hmm, something's going on though. I overheard Dad talking to Maia on the phone while you were out and whatever they were talking about didn't sound good."

"You'll just have to keep an eye on Dad and Papa then." Rafael sighed.

"Me?" Max frowned, glancing at Rafael suspiciously. "Why? Where are you going to be?"

Rafael bit his lip nervously as he took the form out of his pocket, holding it in his clenched hands before he took a deep breath and turned to Max. "Hermano, how would you feel if I went away for a while?"

"How long?"

"A year, maybe," he said quietly, unfolding the form in his hand and showing it to Max. Max stared at it in confusion. "I'll still call when I can, and you could possibly visit, but I want to know what you think before I make a decision."

"Where would you be going?"

Rafael glanced at Max's face and took a deep breath. "Buenos Aires."

Max's eyes widened in alarm, and Rafael could see a tiny amount of worry appear in them. "That's pretty far away."

"I know. In any other circumstances I would have said no straight away and stayed here in New York. I mean, come on, we've never been apart since the moment I was adopted, but…it's where I was born, Max. I want to know more about where I come from, about who my family was."

"But we're your family."

"And you always will be. That's never going to change." Rafael shuffled around on the bed until he was fully facing his brother. "All my life, I've been terrified of that place. I've had nightmares that I've gone to sleep here one night and the next thing I know I'm waking up back on the streets with demons chasing me everywhere I go. I need to go back and face my fears. Otherwise, what kind of Shadowhunter would I be, eh? And if I can find out more about my birth parents whilst I'm there, then that's even better. But I won't go unless I know that you're going to be okay without me."

"What if I came with you?"

Rafael shook his head sadly. "Someone needs to stay here and look after our parents. Who better than you?"

Max let out a slow breath, a crease appearing on his brow as he quietly thought. "Would you miss me?"

"Every day." he replied with a small smile. Max fell silent and stared at the form in his hands, his mouth forming a tight line, and Rafael waited with baited breath for his answer.

Max nodded and shrugged his shoulders with a mischievous smile. "I suppose I could live with that."

"Really…? You'd honestly be okay with that?" Rafael felt his mouth stretch into a smile in disbelief. Max nodded. Rafael pulled his brother into a fierce hug, blinking back sudden tears of happiness. "Gracias, hermano, gracias! You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Alright, calm down, Rafe. I'm suffocating here." Max chuckled as he hugged him back. "Hey, you better bring me back a present. Actually, make that two. Did you know that there's a snake over in Buenos Aires that is known as the 'owner of all snakes' according to Argentinean folklore?"

Rafael laughed as he pulled away, fixing Max with a look. "I'm not getting you a snake, Max. Papa would kill me. And Dad probably would too."

"Not even a little baby one? You're supposed to be my brother here." Max sighed. "I need a Monty Junior to keep me company whilst you're gone."

" _No_ , Max."

"Fine, but my presents had better be even better than a snake." Max pointed a finger at Rafael seriously. "And you can do all my chores for me before you go too."

"You can do your own chores!"

"Some brother you are. You're abandoning me for a whole year and you're not even sorry enough to make it up to me. I see how it is."

Rafael rolled his eyes and playfully tackled Max to the ground, knocking over Max's bedside lamp and sending his books onto the floor beside them and they started to wrestle. Even when Max had finally pinned Rafael beneath him, his face pressed in the carpet and his arms shackled tightly against his back with magic, Rafael found himself grinning and laughing like a mad fool.

Hours later when everyone had gone to bed, Rafael sat hunched over at his desk with the application form laid out in front of him. After reading through the form for the hundredth time, he smiled and signed his name at the bottom of the page. He was going to go back to Buenos Aires. He was finally going to do it.

Folding up the form and switching off his lamp, he got into bed and curled up on his side. For a moment, he glanced over at Max sleeping soundly in his bed, one leg sticking out from under his covers and drool slipping down his chin, and Rafael fell asleep with a smile on his face.


End file.
